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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28789950">Play With Fire</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_luca/pseuds/its_luca'>its_luca</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ableism, After we get to Ba Sing Se consider canon dead and buried in an unmarked grave, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Bisexual Suki (Avatar), Everybody lives!!, F/F, F/M, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Homophobia, I don’t know I’m stupid okay, Jet (Avatar) Lives, Jet (Avatar) Redemption, Kya (Avatar) Lives, Lesbian Azula (Avatar), Let Toph (Avatar) Say Fuck, Lu Ten (Avatar) Lives, M/M, Maybe it’ll be Suki?, Oh yeah screw canon, Pansexual Aang (Avatar), Pansexual Ty Lee (Avatar), Partially Blind Zuko (Avatar), Partially Deaf Zuko (Avatar), Question Mark??, Yeaaaaah Iroh has another kid, because it’s the fire nation, but still sadly, but we say screw Sozin’s Law, combustion bending, i shot canon and hid its body where you’ll never find it, like incredibly so, no beta we die like ozai should have, oh also the author is stupid, please help, relationship with Jun?, thats right</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:14:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>28,792</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28789950</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_luca/pseuds/its_luca</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After learning just how far Ozai will go to gain the throne, a young Fire Nation princess figures that life in Caldera is too dangerous. She plans to head to Kyoshi Island but ends up in the Southern Water Tribe instead.</p><p>Years later, the Avatar emerges. </p><p>Aiko thought she was done with the Fire Nation, but the universe just loves proving her wrong.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hakoda &amp; The Gaang (Avatar), Iroh &amp; His Daughter, Iroh &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), There will be others but I’m still deciding, Toph Beifong &amp; Zuko, Were you under the impression that I was competent??, idk what’s gonna happen in this story</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Becoming: Part One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first fic in a goood while. Be nice please?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>1. Aiko {Part One}<br/>In which a small girl learns too much and makes a plan.</p><p>Iroh hurried into the room just in time to hear the first cries of a newborn child.</p><p>He’d been watching after Lu Ten all day, trying to keep the eleven-year-old boy’s mind off his mother while simultaneously trying to keep his own worries at bay. It had been eleven years since their family last gained a new member, and the last several months had not been easy. </p><p>The royal physicians feared that this pregnancy might kill his wife.</p><p>But when Iroh entered the room, she was sitting up, smiling at him despite her exhaustion. </p><p>Soon after, the physicians brought their child into the room — a tiny girl with black hair and wide eyes the colour of molten bronze that darted around the room curiously. Aiko, they called her, “beloved child.” </p><p>Lu Ten was soon allowed in and didn’t stop smiling at his baby sister for what must have been an hour. He made silly faces at her in an attempt to make her smile, but was satisfied when she simply gripped his finger and promptly fell asleep.</p><p>“She’s so little,” he whispered, looking up at his father. Iroh smiled, nodding.</p><p>“She will need a strong brother like you to protect her.”</p><p>Sadly, the day was not entirely joyous. Iroh’s wife passed late in the night, still holding Aiko to her chest.</p><p> </p><p>As it turned out, Aiko did not seem to need a brother to protect her. </p><p>Despite being a quiet baby, she soon grew into a rather boisterous child, playing war games with Lu Ten and her cousin Zuko and demanding to be taught swordplay instead of etiquette. Azulon did not approve of much of it, but he eventually trusted his son to raise his daughter as he wished. After all, he knew nothing of little girls.</p><p>She quickly grew to be a powerful firebender, ranked nearly as high as her cousin Azula. However, unlike her cousin, she was compassionate, more similar to Zuko in personality. The two became close friends, Zuko claiming that it was because she was “pretty much like a boy” and “didn’t like doing weird girl stuff.”</p><p>When Aiko was nine, Iroh and Lu Ten left the palace to fight in the war, leaving her under Ozai and Ursa’s care.</p><p> </p><p>“The siege is going well,” Ursa read off for the three children seated in front of her. “Ba Sing Se will soon be ours. I miss you three very much, but I hope these gifts will suffice for the time being.”</p><p>“For Zuko, a pearl dagger. Note the inscription on the blade.” Urse drew the short weapon from her pocket, handing it to Zuko. He unsheathed it, gold eyes skimming over the writing.</p><p>“Never give up without a fight,” he read. Ursa smiled and continued reading.</p><p>“For Azula, a doll from the Earth Kingdom that I hope she will enjoy.” Azula took the toy but didn’t seem too happy with it. When Ursa glanced back down to the letter, she made a face, almost forcing a laugh from Aiko. Her father should know by now that not every girl liked to sit quietly and play with dolls.</p><p>“And for Aiko,” Ursa said finally. “A leather sheath for the swords I know she will be demanding soon.” The young girl took the item from Ursa’s hands, looking over the workmanship. It was sturdy and well made, clearly an expensive item. She smiled, silently thanking her father.</p><p>After Ursa finished reading the contents of the letter, Aiko and Zuko ran off to the gardens to play. They pushed and shoved each other, eventually falling to the ground and wrestling there. Both were careful not to injure the other, but that didn’t mean either would give up a victory.</p><p>Eventually, Zuko gained the upper hand, being a few months older and a few inches taller. He sat triumphantly on Aiko’s stomach, both cousins out of breath.</p><p>“Get off me,” Aiko grumbled, trying to shove him away. “I can’t breathe.” </p><p>“Yeah you can,” Zuko shot back, but rolled off anyway, laying down in the grass beside her. They watched the clouds for a moment before Zuko spoke once more.</p><p>“Do you think we’ll ever fight in the war?” he asked, turning to look at Aiko. The young girl shrugged.</p><p>“There’s not much of a war left to fight,” she said. “Ba Sing Se is about to fall. After that, we just have to take Omashu and the Northern Water Tribe ‘cause the southern one is barely hanging on. I think it’ll be long over by the time Lu Ten becomes Fire Lord.”</p><p>Zuko nodded, sitting up to move towards the turtleduck pond. He had an affinity for the creatures, always bringing them bread and playing with the babies. Aiko often got dragged into his visits to the pond, but she didn’t mind too much. After all, she could sneak pieces of bread for herself while Zuko wasn’t looking.</p><p>Several months later, bad news came to Caldera City. Lu Ten had been killed in the war, and Iroh had withdrawn his troops, unable to fight any more. Aiko spent several days locked in her room, not wanting to believe that her brother was gone. He’d always seemed so strong, almost invincible.</p><p>A few weeks later, Zuko and Aiko were in the gardens as usual. Azula and her two friends were cartwheeling in the grass and Aiko was tempted to join them. Sure, fighting with Zuko was fun, but she really wanted to figure out how to flip as Ty Lee did.</p><p>Luckily, the other girl seemed to notice her glancing over and motioned for her.</p><p>“C’mon, Aiko! I’m teaching Azula how to walk on her hands!” Aiko ran over happily. </p><p>Though she didn’t like Azula much, her friends weren’t so bad. Ty Lee was possibly the friendliest person she’d ever met and Mai, despite being quiet, shared her interest in knives, and the two often competed to see who could throw them more accurately. Mai won every time.</p><p>After many failed attempts, Aiko could finally walk a few steps while upside-down. She grinned at Ty Lee, who mimicked the expression. Azula glared at them from a few feet away, not happy that she hadn’t managed to take even one step without falling over. </p><p>Aiko saw Ursa enter the gardens out of the corner of her eye, and could just barely hear her suggesting to Zuko that he play with the girls.</p><p>“I don’t want to play with Azula and her friends,” Zuko grumbled. “And I don’t wanna cartwheel either.” Azula rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Cartwheeling’s not a game, Zuzu,” she said. “And besides, Aiko’s with us too. Aren’t you friends with her?” After a bit more convincing from Ursa, Zuko reluctantly went over to play with the other four. Azula smirked, pulling an apple from a nearby tree as soon as Ursa left.</p><p>“This is the game we’re gonna play,” she began. “Someone stands with the apple on their head, and another person has to knock it off without touching them.” Without waiting for agreement from the other children, she placed the apple on Mai’s head, stepping back to shoot it off with fire.</p><p>Zuko dashed forward, not trusting Azula to be accurate enough. Mai screamed as he shoved her out of the fire’s path, perhaps with a bit too much force. The two ended up in the fountain.</p><p>Hurried footsteps came down the pathway, and Ursa returned.</p><p>“What is all this yelling about?” Her gaze fell on Mai and Zuko, clothes and hair soaked from the water in the fountain. </p><p>“We were playing a game and they tripped and fell in,” Azula said quickly. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth. Ursa sighed.</p><p>“Get out of the fountain, please,” she said. “Zuko, Azula, best clothes. We’re going to see your grandfather.” Aiko stepped forward.</p><p>“Can I come, too?” Ursa smiled.</p><p>“Of course.” Aiko grinned, running off to put on her best dress.</p><p>A short while later, Ozai and Ursa were leading the three children into the throne room. They bowed before sitting on their knees, looking up at Azulon.</p><p>Ozai said some things, none of which Aiko paid any attention to. She simply looked around the throne room, eyes skimming over the tapestries on the walls.</p><p>“What about Aiko?” Azulon said, snapping the young girl’s attention back. “She is in the same classes as Azula, is she not? Let them perform the bending forms together.” She could see Ozai’s jaw clench. Clearly, that was not what he wanted, but he agreed anyway.</p><p>Both girls stood, glancing at each other in a silent countdown before taking their starting positions. They went through their most advanced katas fluidly, in perfect unison. Right after finishing, they took their seats once more. Both girls were smart enough to know that showing off their skill in firebending wasn’t the real purpose of this meeting.</p><p>“I want to show what I’ve been learning, too,” Zuko said, standing up. He made his way clumsily through a set of forms, falling after a flying kick. Frustrated, he sat back down, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.</p><p>“I loved watching you,” Ursa, reassured the young boy. Aiko nodded.</p><p>“You were way closer to getting that kick than you were last week.” Azulon, however, was losing his patience.</p><p>“Do not waste my time with this,” he glared, addressing Ozai. “What is it that you really want?” Ozai nodded, and Ursa got the message to take the children out of the room.</p><p>Before the two older children could get far, Azula pulled them behind a curtain, smirking. There, shrouded in shadows, they could listen to Ozai and Azulon’s conversation without being seen.</p><p>“This is a bad idea,” Zuko hissed, though he made no move to leave.</p><p>“What is it that you want?” Azulon asked, not wanting any more stalling. Ozai bowed.</p><p>“Father,” he began. “As you know, my brother no longer has a male heir. Please, revoke his birthright and give it to me.” The flames around Azulon flared higher, causing Zuko and Aiko to flinch back, though they were nowhere near the fire.</p><p>“You would ask me to betray my firstborn just after he has lost his only son?” Azulon said, furious. Ozai’s face remained calm, though he tensed visibly.</p><p>“But father, surely you would not let Aiko take the throne when there is a male heir such as Zuko to take it.” Aiko clenched her fist, though she was not surprised. There were very few female Fire Lords in the history of the nation, as women were never allowed to take the throne unless there was absolutely no male heir.</p><p>There was rustling beside Aiko, and when she glanced over, Zuko was gone, not wanting to get caught. Aiko glanced at Azula, who made no move to leave, and quickly decided to stay as well.</p><p>“Iroh has brought up Aiko to be just as strong as any son,” Azulon said, a note of finality in his tone. “She can best Zuko with a sword, can she not?” Ozai seemed furious.</p><p>“But father-”</p><p>“No!” Azulon’s shout filled the room, echoing off the walls. “It seems you need to be taught a lesson. You will know the pain of losing your firstborn.” Aiko’s eyes went wide. She knew Ozai had no compassion.</p><p>She felt Azula tug on her hand, knowing that Ozai soon would be exiting. They didn’t want to be caught in the curtains. The two girls slipped silently back to the bedrooms. </p><p>Azula peered into Zuko’s room, an eerie smile on her face.</p><p>“Dad’s gonna kill you,” she said in a sing-song voice. Her words then dropped to a scarily serious tone. “No, really. Grandfather told him to.” Zuko glared, though there was fear underneath the expression.</p><p>“No he’s not!” he yelled. Aiko gave Azula a look.</p><p>“Yeah, shut up, Azula,” she said. “He didn’t really mean it.” Azula glanced over at her.</p><p>“Of course he did,” she smirked. “You heard it. And besides, you should watch you back, too. Dad really wants the throne, and you’re the only thing stopping him from getting it.” Aiko glared.</p><p>“Get out,” she ordered, shoving Azula towards the door. </p><p>“Who’s gonna make me?” she taunted. Aiko stood up straight, knowing she had a few inches on Azula.</p><p>“I am. Get out!” she yelled, breathing a wave of flame at Azula, a trick she’d learned from her father. The younger girl looked startled for a moment before turning on her heel and walking out the door.</p><p>*****</p><p>For the rest of the day, Aiko couldn’t stop thinking about what Azula had said. She knew the younger girl was right. She would be in danger as long as Ozai had the slightest chance of becoming Fire Lord. And so, she made a plan.</p><p>It was a frantic ten-year-old’s plan, but a plan nonetheless.</p><p>She would stow away on a Fire Nation ship heading south. When they reached land, she’d slip off and head to the southern tip of the Earth Kingdom, where the Kyoshi Warriors lived. She’d read about them in her books, how they fought under the past Avatar’s name, and how they were all girls. They had to be her favourite thing to read about.</p><p>Once she’d trained with them for a few years, she’d come back to the Fire Nation and challenge Ozai to an Agni Kai, making sure he’d never be able to take the throne. In Aiko’s mind, the plan was foolproof.</p><p>That night, after everyone was asleep, Aiko stepped out of her room, pulling her robes tightly around her. She went to the docks, managing to slip onto a ship unnoticed. Curled up in the cargo hold, she soon fell asleep to the gentle rocking of the waves, not even noticing when the ship left the harbour.</p><p> </p><p>When she woke the next morning, nothing in her surroundings had changed. She somehow knew that the sun had risen despite not being able to see it, but the packed cargo hold remained the same as at night. It was then that she realised that it was going to be an incredibly boring few days.</p><p>She soon found herself wishing she’d brought something with her to do and to eat. No one would have noticed a missing bag of fire flakes and a few sheets of parchment. As it was, she would have to spend the next few days bored and hungry.</p><p>In the next few days, it got very cold in the cargo hold. Between the painful hunger in her stomach and the frigid temperatures around her, Aiko was incredibly uncomfortable. She stood, rummaging around for a blanket, a tapestry, really anything to keep herself warm. Using her breath of fire got exhausting.</p><p>Finally, she found what looked to be a deep red curtain in one of the boxes. Smiling, she yanked it out.</p><p>She hadn’t counted on there being a rod at the other end of the cloth.</p><p>The metal bar clattered to the floor, making a loud ringing. Aiko froze, eyes wide. She had just enough time to think, “Oh, no,” before the door slammed open. A large man dressed in familiar red stood in the doorway, a scowl on his face.</p><p>He marched up and grabbed her arm, dragging her up the stairs to the deck. Aiko shivered against the biting cold, looking out at the icebergs that surrounded the ship.</p><p>“What’s your name, kid?” he growled, shaking her harshly.</p><p>“Ichika,” Aiko quickly lied.</p><p>“Ichika,” the man muttered. “You got any parents, Ichika?” Aiko shook her head. The man grinned cruelly. He turned to yell over his shoulder to the man at the helm and soon the ship was turning towards the icy landscape.</p><p>The man pulled Aiko towards the railing, and his intentions became clear.</p><p>“No, please!” Aiko cried. “I’ll die out there! I can just stay there in the cargo hold, I haven’t touched anything except for that curtain because I was cold. Please don’t throw me out there!” But then she was falling into the snow with nothing but her thin robes.</p><p>“Please, sir!” she yelled. The man raised his fist, his thumb between his first and second fingers in a rude gesture Aiko had only ever seen Azula use when her mother wasn’t looking.</p><p>Within minutes, the ship was moving back out into the water and Aiko was all alone.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Becoming: Part Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So I have a good portion on this fic pre-written which I’m going to be putting out in the next few days. Ummm yeah! Happy reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In which Aiko settles into life in the Southern Water Tribe.</p><p>Hakoda woke to the sound of cracking ice.</p><p>Instantly, he was on his feet, whalebone club in hand, throwing on his parka as he stepped out of his tent. It wasn’t like the Fire Nation to attack in the middle of the night when their bending was considerably weaker than that of a waterbender.</p><p>But then again, the only waterbender in the entire tribe was Katara, his nine-year-old daughter. She was a child and certainly not a threat.</p><p>He was about to call the other warriors of the tribe when the iron ship stopped, tossing something into the deep snow. Hakoda, though a bit confused, relaxed a bit. The item was too big to be some type of explosive, and even if it was, the village was so far away that it wouldn’t do any damage. </p><p>But then the something moved.</p><p>It - no, they shifted, getting shakily to their feet. The person had to be a child, staggering against the biting southern wind. The man on deck made a sharp, likely vulgar gesture before the ship began moving once more, backing out of the ice and drifting off.</p><p>By this time, several other tribesmen had woken, coming out of their tents with weapons in hand. </p><p>“Stand down,” Hakoda called. “There’s no threat.” He motioned for Bato however, as he didn’t want to drag anyone else out in the middle of the night.</p><p>“What did the ship want?” the taller man asked. Hakoda shook his head.</p><p>“They tossed someone overboard. I think it was a kid.” Bato looked at him like he was insane.</p><p>“What’s a kid doing on a Fire Nation ship?” </p><p>“I don’t know,” Hakoda admitted. “But I’m going to find out.” Bato sighed.</p><p>“They could be a firebender,” he warned. “They could destroy our entire village. You’re going to find someone that could take out the last of our people?” Hakoda sighed, thinking about his two children, still asleep under their blankets.</p><p>“I can’t leave a child out in this weather,” he said finally. Bato nodded, knowing that there was no changing the chief’s mind.</p><p>“Are you going out now?” Hakoda nodded. </p><p>“I’m not making them try to survive the night alone.”</p><p>And with that, Hakoda went to pull on his snow boots.</p><p>It took Hakoda a while to get to the spot where the iron ship had cut through the ice, but from there, it was easy to see the deep tracks the child made. He followed them for a bit before he saw a hole in the snow. They’d buried themselves to shield from the wind.</p><p>Smart.</p><p>Hakoda approached slowly, not wanting to startle the child. He’d seen what a frightened firebender could do and wasn’t taking any chances. When he finally peered into the hole, a young girl was looking up at him, gold eyes scared and untrusting, shivering in her thin Fire Nation robes.</p><p>“Hey,” Hakoda said carefully. “What are you doing here?” The girl just stared.</p><p>“I’m not going to hurt you. I’m Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe.” The girl swallowed hard, hastily shifting into a kneeling position, palms and forehead touching the snow. Hakoda’s own eyes widened.</p><p>“Hey, no, none of that,” he said hastily, crouching down at the edge of the dugout in the snow. “We don’t do that here.” The girl sat up, pulling her knees to her chest once more.</p><p>“Do you want to come with me?” Hakoda offered. “The village is a lot warmer than sitting around in the snow.” The young girl nodded, hesitantly taking the chief’s hand. He handed her one of Sokka’s parkas that he’d brought with him which she tugged on quickly, grateful for the warmth. It was perhaps a little too big, but it did the job.</p><p>It was slow going, seeing as the girl kept sinking into the snow. On more than one occasion, Hakoda had to lift her out of a particularly deep snowdrift. </p><p>It was still dark when they reached the village. Then again, winter was closing in, and it was dark most of the day. Hakoda glanced down at the girl, wondering if that would affect her. After all, firebenders drew their power from the sun. The polar night combined with the freezing temperatures couldn’t be good for her.</p><p>“Are you a firebender?” Hakoda asked. The girl glanced up at him and nodded, cupping her hands to produce a tiny flame. She seemed dissatisfied by it, perhaps not understanding why it was so small. </p><p>“It’s just the cold,” the chief assured. “Once you’re warm, I’m sure your bending will be just as strong as before.” The girl seemed displeased, but nodded, letting the flame go out. </p><p>Hakoda pushed back the fur in the doorway of his family’s tent, stepping in quietly. The girl immediately sat cross-legged in front of the fire, pushing back the sleeves of the parka she was wearing and sticking her hands straight into the flames. Hakoda nearly yelled before remembering she was a firebender, but still watched carefully for any sign that she was in pain. Finally, it seemed that she’d warmed her hands enough to pull them back, tucking them into the sleeves.</p><p>Katara sat up in the corner of the tent, rubbing at her eyes. The Fire Nation girl froze, suddenly sitting very still.</p><p>“Dad?” Katara called, glancing around the tent. However, her eyes landed first on the other girl, and she raised one eyebrow.</p><p>“Who’re you?” she asked. “You don’t look like you’re Water Tribe.”</p><p>“I’m Aiko,” the girl said, speaking for the first time. “And I am not Water Tribe.” By this point, Sokka was waking as well.</p><p>“Do you mind telling us what you were doing on a Fire Nation ship, Aiko?” Hakoda asked.</p><p>“My uncle was going to kill me, so I decided to go to Kyoshi Island to train with the warriors there,” she said like it was a normal and perfectly reasonable answer.</p><p>“You?” Sokka said. “You were going to train to be a warrior?” Aiko nodded, confused as to why he was so sceptical.</p><p>“But you’re a girl,” he continued. “Girls can’t be warriors.” Aiko glared, sitting up a bit straighter.</p><p>“Give me a sword and I’ll show just how much of a warrior a girl can be.”</p><p>“Okay!” Sokka yelled, standing up. “You and me after breakfast, one-on-one. I’m gonna kick your butt.”</p><p>“Sokka,” Hakoda said warningly. “Be nice. She’s going to be staying with us for a little while.”</p><p>“But Dad!” Sokka began at the same time as Aiko said, “Chief Hakoda!” And off the two went, talking over each other.</p><p>“I need to get to Kyoshi Island-”</p><p>“-Already have one little sister-”</p><p>“-Southern Raiders might find me-”</p><p>“-Probably doesn’t even know how to penguin sled-”</p><p>“-Have to send a message to my dad-”</p><p>“-Has never even touched a boomerang!”</p><p>“Calm down!” Hakoda said, loud enough to be heard over the two competing children. “Sokka, I’m sure that Aiko is a great fighter. Go and help your grandmother with breakfast.” The young boy pouted but went to do as told.</p><p>“Aiko,” he began, “I understand that you want to go to Kyoshi Island, but I promise that you will be safe here until we are able to take you there. The next time we go on a trading trip, we’ll drop you off, all right?” Aiko nodded reluctantly.</p><p>True to his word, Sokka dragged Aiko out to fight, taking two old whalebone swords with him. The edges were chipped and dull, perfect for training. He handed one to Aiko, twirling the other in his right hand. The young girl made a face.</p><p>“Scared?” Sokka taunted. Aiko glared.</p><p>“You wish. This isn’t even a sword.”</p><p>“Of course it’s a sword!” Sokka exclaimed, only to have Aiko shake her head.</p><p>“Swords are made out of metal, not… whatever this is.” Sokka let out a small huff.</p><p>“Maybe wherever you come from they are,” he said. “Here in the Water Tribe, we make them out of whale bones.”</p><p>“Whalebones?!” Aiko cried. “That’s gross!” Sokka rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Just hold the leather grip. You don’t even have to touch the bone.” Aiko looked displeased, but did just that, swinging the weapon a few times to test its weight.</p><p>“Bring it on, Sock,” she smirked.</p><p>Now, Sokka thought himself to be a pretty good warrior for a ten-year-old, mainly because he’d never had anyone to test his skill against. But if the swords and the battle had been real, he supposed he would have been dead several times over. Still, his pride prevented him from admitting defeat until he was pinned with the once-sharp edge of the sword across his neck.</p><p>“I changed my mind,” Sokka said once they were done brushing the snow from their parkas. “You can stay.”</p><p>That day was only the start of a long and interesting five years.</p><p>A YEAR LATER</p><p>Aiko sat chatting in the tent while Hakoda cut Sokka’s hair, shaving the sides as he always did. She ran a hand through her own hair, a few inches longer than Sokka’s.</p><p>“Hakoda?” she asked. “Can you do mine like that too?” The chief looked amused.</p><p>“Are you sure?” Aiko nodded.</p><p>“It’s just hair,” she shrugged. “It’ll grow back out.” Hakoda couldn’t argue with that.</p><p>He had her sit on the stool after he was finished with Sokka, tying part of her hair up before cutting the sides short. Sokka watched from the other side of the tent.</p><p>“Having you around is almost like having a brother,” he said out of the blue. Aiko laughed.</p><p>“My cousin Zuko used to say the same thing.” Hakoda nearly cut his hand with the razor he was holding.</p><p>“Your cousin Zuko?” he asked, eyes wide. “Prince of the Fire Nation, that Zuko?” Aiko turned to look at him.</p><p>“He’s not the prince. My dad is. Well, at least he was when I left.” Hakoda took a measured breath.</p><p>“Your father is General Iroh?” Aiko nodded. Hakoda couldn’t believe it. The kind and gentle man she spoke of was the Dragon of the West? It was impossible.</p><p>But it made sense. Suddenly so many things about Aiko made sense. Like why she knew the name of every trading post and city in the Earth and Fire Nations, why she defaulted to the more formal language used by scribes when writing.</p><p>Still frazzled, Hakoda nodded.</p><p>“Okay,” he muttered.</p><p>“Don’t worry,” Aiko said. “If someone tries to attack the tribe to get me, I’ll tell them to leave you alone. They have to listen to me. I’m going to be Fire Lord one day after all.” Hakoda tensed slightly. “What?” Aiko asked, not missing a beat.</p><p>“Ozai is Fire Lord,” he said. “Your cousin Zuko is next in line for the throne.”</p><p>“What?” Aiko shouted, standing suddenly. The edge of the blade Hakoda held nicked the edge of her ear, but she didn’t seem to notice. </p><p>“That’s not right! My father is older than Ozai is, and he’d make a much better Fire Lord. How could he just give up the throne like that?”</p><p>“He didn’t give it up,” Hakoda said. “Azulon gave Ozai the crown.” Aiko’s brows furrowed.</p><p>“That’s not right,” she repeated. “Azulon would never do that.” The tent lapsed into silence for a while before Katara peered in.</p><p>“Is something wrong?” she asked, sensing the tension.</p><p>“No,” Aiko said shortly. “C’mon, let’s go practice our bending.”</p><p>THREE YEARS LATER</p><p>Aiko was in a particularly bad mood. Winter was just around the corner, which meant she was going to lose her bending for nearly three months. Not only that, but Hakoda and the rest of the tribesmen had left to fight in the war, leaving her and Sokka in charge.</p><p>She needed something to set on fire.</p><p>Her frustration only grew when, predictably, she found nothing more than snow and ice. Kanna would have her head if she set something in the village ablaze but unfortunately, the village held the only flammable materials.</p><p>Kicking at the snow, Aiko kept walking, not in any particular direction. She tore up little plant shoots as she went, setting them alight like candles and watching them crumble to ash. But that did little to quell her frustration.</p><p>Pulling at her hair violently, she yelled out across the ice, her eyes screwing shut. At that moment it felt as if some kind of scale tipped inside her. She could feel her chi surge upward and leave her body explosively — literally.</p><p>She staggered back from the force of the blast, eyes darting around. What had just happened? Sure, she could firebend, but this was different. It felt different.</p><p>The ice cracked loudly, jolting Aiko out of her thoughts. Oh.</p><p>There was no ground under her feet as she’d previously thought.</p><p>Forcing panic down, she slowly laid flat on the ice to distribute her weight like she’d seen several of the animals around do before. Hopefully, it would be enough to prevent her fall into the icy water. Because if she fell in now, she knew she was never coming back up.</p><p>*****</p><p>If Sokka knew anything about the older of his two sisters, it was that when she was on the warpath, whether it be against an older boy who made fun of Katara once (once) or, as she was now, looking for something to blow up, it was that nothing in her way would be spared.</p><p>That was why he followed at a safe distance, just in case she decided it was a good idea to fight a tiger seal again.</p><p>It was at moments like these that he wished she was a little more like Katara, who might push him away at first, but would eventually give in to a comforting hug. Aiko would not only yell at him, but she’d also give him a black eye or bloody nose for his trouble. She’d been a part of their tribe for so long that it was sometimes hard to remember that she wasn’t Water Tribe by nature.</p><p>He heard Aiko yell in frustration and looked up just in time to see an explosion ring out from where she stood. Normally, he wouldn’t have been surprised. Violent firebending was Aiko’s way of letting out her frustration. But she hadn’t even moved.</p><p>A crack cut through the air, and from his vantage point above the small bay, Sokka could see the ice fracturing. Aiko was looking around, trying to figure out what to do. The water tribe boy almost breathed a sigh of relief when she laid down flat on the ice.</p><p>But still, there was no telling how long the ice would hold. </p><p>Sokka ran as fast as he could back to the village, yelling for Katara. She was weaving baskets with several of the other women of the tribe and looked annoyed when he came barreling into their circle.</p><p>“Aiko’s out on the ice and I think it’s about to crack,” Sokka rushed out, by this point out of breath. Katara and several other women stood immediately, rushing to grab a rope and extra parkas just in case. The two siblings were the first to take off across the snow, Sokka leading the way.</p><p>When they got to the ice-covered bay, Aiko was still laying on her stomach, trying to inch slowly forward. Relief flooded her face when she saw that Sokka and Katara had come.</p><p>“Hang on!” Sokka yelled, hacking at the ice at the edge of the water with his boomerang. He stuck a hand in, testing the thickness. It was probably a good fifteen centimetres thick, enough to hold both him and Katara. He stepped onto the ice, tossing the rope out to Aiko.</p><p>“Tie it around your waist!” Katara shouted, to which Aiko nodded, doing as told. Sokka started to pull her forward, but the ice underneath cracked even more. Unfortunately, Aiko had a bad habit of trying to use fire against whatever startled her, and at the moment, that something was the ice underneath her.</p><p>She screamed as she went under.</p><p>Sokka hardly managed to keep his grip on the rope. Katara was yelling something, likely for him to pull Aiko out, but he couldn’t seem to drag her up, no matter how hard he pulled. The others onshore looked on worriedly, knowing that they couldn’t do much to help. There was no telling if the ice would hold another person. </p><p>Finally, with a combined effort, the siblings managed to pull Aiko halfway out of the ice. Her hands scrabbled for a grip, and somehow, with the help of Sokka and Katara, she was able to pull herself back out.</p><p>It wasn’t the smartest approach, but Aiko stood shakily, managing to stagger over to where the other two teens were. By some miracle, the ice held, and she made it over safely.</p><p>As soon as she was in arms reach, Katara was helping her take off her soaked parka and wringing her hair out. Sokka pulled her into a tight embrace which she didn’t have the strength to fight. He looked down at his sister, shaking from the cold and shock, her lips tinged blue.</p><p>“Let’s get you warm,” Katara said once she’d bent all the water she could out of Aiko’s clothes. The older girl nodded shakily, and they made their way back, Sokka keeping Aiko’s arm over his shoulder for support.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you guys enjoyed those little snippets! I wanted to just have a little bit of lighthearted stuff before getting into the story and to introduce Aiko’s character a bit more. The next chapter will get into the ATLA plotline and should certainly be interesting.</p><p>Bye royals &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. How Sexism Brought Back the World’s Last Hope</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Aiko learns that not listening to Katara can lead to very good things.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fishing was one of Aiko’s least favourite tasks. You had to be still and quiet, or else the fish would get scared away. </p><p>Presently, Sokka was at the front of the little canoe, waiting for something to tug on his rod. Aiko sat behind him, sharpening her knife for the inevitable task of gutting and cleaning the caught fish. And Katara was waterbending.</p><p>Despite having no one to teach her, the Water Tribe girl was turning out to be a pretty good bender, figuring out how to do things through trial and error. Aiko admired her for it.</p><p>“Sokka, look!” Katara’s voice rang out. Aiko glanced over to where she’d managed to capture a wriggling fish in a ball of water. Impressed, she moved to pick up her net.</p><p>“Shh!” Sokka hissed. “You’re gonna scare all the fish away!” Katara glared.</p><p>“No, I caught one!” By this point, Aiko had moved the small net underneath the globe of water and Katara released her hold, landing the fish in Aiko’s net and spraying Sokka with water.</p><p>“Hey!” he cried unhappily, turning around. “How come every time you play with water magic, I’m the one that gets wet?” Katara glared.</p><p>“It’s not magic, it’s-”</p><p>“‘A sacred art native to our people,’ right,” Sokka mocked. Aiko rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Katara’s bending is as much a part of her as your insolence is a part of you.” Sokka let out an indignant “Hey!” at this, but didn’t say much else. Aiko had told them how terrible it felt not to be able to bend during the long winter months, and not even Sokka was so insensitive that he’d argue.</p><p>Then again, the fear of a bruised jaw also helped to keep him in line.</p><p>“Still, just leave the fishing to me,” Sokka grumbled. “Just stick to your stuff.” Katara put her hands on her hips.</p><p>“What do you mean, my stuff?”</p><p>“Y’know, girl stuff,” Sokka shrugged, momentarily forgetting about the older of his two sisters, who looked absolutely livid. But she said nothing, leaving it to Katara.</p><p>“I can’t believe you!” she yelled, the water around them rocking in response to her anger. “You are the most sexist, immature-” Sokka’s eyes grew wide.</p><p>“Uhh, Katara?”</p><p>“No, you listen to me!” she yelled. Aiko tapped her shoulder.</p><p>“No, Katara, seriously,” she said, eyes on the splitting iceberg looming over them. “You need to calm down before we get blown to oblivion.”</p><p>But it was too late. The damage had already been done and the cracks spread slowly further.</p><p>“Aiko, do your explosion thing, now,” Sokka ordered. Aiko looked at him like he was insane.</p><p>“What? No! That’s only gonna make things worse. I could make even more ice fall on us.”</p><p>“Well if you don’t do it, then we’re gonna get crushed so blowupthaticebergnow!” Aiko couldn’t argue with that. Forcing her chi upward, she aimed at the unsteady ice just as it began to split off.</p><p>Fortunately, Aiko’s explosion diverted most of the damage. However, large pieces of ice still churned the water around them, rocking the canoe violently. And suddenly they were being swept away by the new waves, so fast that even Katara couldn’t control their direction.</p><p>The little boat rammed into a small iceberg, crushing the front of it.</p><p>“Get out!” Aiko yelled, pushing Katara onto the ice before getting out herself. Sokka was right behind the two, still clutching his spear. Almost as soon as they were safely on the ice, the little canoe dipped under the waves. Sokka groaned.</p><p>A long while later, they were still out on the ice, trying to use the icebergs as stepping stones. Katara was doing her best to help with her waterbending, but the firebending katas Aiko could remember didn’t translate over very well. Sokka was complaining, going on and on about the fact that Aiko hadn’t brought the fish that Katara caught with them.</p><p>“Whoa, what’s that?” Aiko suddenly said from beside the two, pointing a gloved hand into the distance. Katara and Sokka squinted, trying to see what she was talking about.</p><p>“That thing that’s—?” Sokka began, raising an eyebrow. Katara glanced at him quizzically. Aiko nodded.</p><p>“Yeah, the one with the…”</p><p>“Mm-hm.” Katara sighed. Curse her older siblings and their stupid secret language.</p><p>“Care to fill me in?” Sokka straightened.</p><p>“There’s this piece of ice that’s kinda…” Aiko nodded.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s like—”</p><p>“In words that I can understand!” Katara huffed. </p><p>“There’s this iceberg that’s weirdly smooth and… round?” Sokka finally said, tilting his head as if that would let him get a better view. There was a beat of silence before Aiko took a running jump onto the next ice floe. Katara’s eyes widened.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Aiko turned back, grinning.</p><p>“I’m gonna go check it out!” Sokka snickered as Katara put her hands on her hips, an expression of authority on her face that Gran-Gran would have been proud of.</p><p>“We don’t have time for this, we need to get back home!” she yelled. “Get back here!” </p><p>“Who’s gonna make me?” Aiko shot back, turning to glance at Katara before jumping to the next piece of ice. “Kanna’s stick can’t reach me out here!” The younger girl clenched her fists. Damn Aiko and her stupid “do anything except for what I’m told” personality. She glanced at Sokka.</p><p>“We are not going after her,” she said. Sokka raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“And let her wrestle a polar bear dog again?” Katara sighed.</p><p>“Fair.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, look who decided to join me.” Katara rolled her eyes.</p><p>“I didn’t need you falling into the water again.” Aiko rolled her eyes, nudging the huge piece of ice with her boot.</p><p>“Never seen an iceberg like this before,” Aiko muttered. “How’d you think this happened?”</p><p>“Probably some weird bendy magic,” Sokka said dismissively. “Let’s just figure out how to get back home. I don’t wanna spend the night out on the ice.” But Aiko never listened. She threw fire at the ice around them, dislodging the iceberg despite her siblings’ protests.</p><p>The three stumbled back when the ball of ice rose unnaturally high out of the water. Katara’s eyes went wide.</p><p>“There’s someone in there!” Sure enough, there was a silhouette of a person, sitting in what looked like a meditative position. She turned to the two older teens. “We’ve got to help them!” </p><p>“I don’t know,” Sokka muttered. “Releasing some person that’s been trapped in ice for who knows how long? Doesn’t seem like too great of an idea.” Aiko shrugged.</p><p>“If they’ve been in there for even an hour, they’re dead anyway.” Katara glared.</p><p>“But what if we’re able to help them?” Aiko sighed. Katara may have been a waterbender, but she could be as stubborn as any Earth Kingdom girl. They weren’t leaving until Katara at least confirmed this person was beyond help.</p><p>“Stand back,” she muttered, caving to Katara’s requests.</p><p>“Wait, no!” Katara yelled. Aiko rolled eyes. </p><p>“I’m not gonna blow it up,” she said. Katara let out a quiet “Oh” and stood back.</p><p>Taking her stance, Aiko let her chi flow in a strong, steady stream, beginning to melt the ice. Sokka and Katara watched silently from behind her, careful not to get too close to her fire. Oddly enough, the ice began to shake. </p><p>“Aw, c’mon, Katara,” Sokka groaned. Katara raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“That’s not me,” she said. Sokka’s eyes went wide.</p><p>“Wait, then that means…” The two girls looked at him questioningly. He pointed dramatically at Aiko.</p><p>“Aiko is the Avatar!” The firebender rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Sure,” she glared. “I think I would have known if I was a while ago, seeing as I was, y’know, a citizen of the country which wants the Avatar either dead or used as their weapon.”</p><p>Their bickering halted when glowing came from the iceberg. Sokka only had time to mutter a quiet “Oh, no,” before the ice exploded, forcing them backwards.</p><p>Katara was the first to recover, clambering back up and rushing towards the person. Aiko and Sokka were right behind her, holding their whalebone weapons at the ready. The two glanced at each other when they caught sight of the stranger’s odd clothes. Katara, however, wasn’t fazed, dropping down next to him and shaking his shoulder.</p><p>The boy opened his eyes blearily, glancing up at Katara. Aiko tightened her grip on her spear.</p><p>“I need to tell you something,” he whispered. “Come closer.” Katara leaned closer, confused. The boy’s face lit up.</p><p>“Will you go penguin sledding with me?” Sokka glared, shoving Katara aside and pointing his spear at the stranger.</p><p>“Who are you?” he demanded. “What are you doing here?” Without waiting for an answer, he turned to Aiko. “He’s probably a Fire Nation spy.” For that, Aiko gave him a sharp cuff upside the head. Sokka yelped. </p><p>“What was that for?” She gave no answer but the roll of her eyes. </p><p>“How long have you been in there?” she asked the boy. He shrugged.</p><p>“I don’t know exactly,” he replied. “There was this storm and I kinda got sucked into the water along with Appa.” Aiko glanced at Sokka, one eyebrow raised. There hadn’t been any storms in weeks. “Oh, right!” the strange boy said, getting up and brushing himself off. He turned, yelling, “Appa!”</p><p>Aiko nearly jumped out her parka. How in hell had they missed an enormous… wait, what on earth was that? It was bigger than any arctic creature she’d ever seen, covered in shaggy hair and shifting restlessly on its six legs. Luckily, Sokka voiced her exact question.</p><p>“What is that?” The boy grinned, running towards the creature.</p><p>“This is Appa!” he said. “My flying bison!” Sokka rolled his eyes.</p><p>“Mm-hm, and this is Katara, my flying sister.”</p><p>*****</p><p>Despite Sokka’s protests, the three showed the boy, who introduced himself as Aang, to their village, introducing him to Kanna. Katara seemed to have an infatuation with the newcomer, likely because his bending was more similar to hers. After all, fire and water didn’t really mix.</p><p>Fire could flow and sweep, but water couldn’t burst and punch out as fire did. It was made to flow and adapt, much like air was. Aiko didn’t mind though. She was glad that Katara might finally have someone to learn from.</p><p>She would have left the two alone if not for the looks Aang was giving while Katara wasn’t looking. The boy seemed infatuated with her. Aiko couldn’t blame him of course – she’d be lying if she said Katara wasn’t lovely and her kind nature only added to her beauty. But Katara was also practically her little sister, and therefore she had a duty to keep ogling boys far, far away.</p><p>Sokka seemed to be of a similar mindset, though he was still not fully convinced that Aang wasn’t from the Fire Nation.</p><p>They woke up the next morning to a note from Katara on the small table in their tent.</p><p>“Gone penguin sledding with Aang,” Sokka read off. “Be back before lunch.” Aiko glared.</p><p>“Penguin sledding better not mean anything else.”</p><p>And with that, they set off to do their chores for the day.</p><p>*****</p><p>Aiko loved the children of the tribe, she truly did. But by Agni, they could be so annoying.</p><p>She was in the middle of sharpening a spearhead when a blur of blue slammed into her, knocking her backwards into the snow. She glanced up at the face of a five-year-old boy.</p><p>“Hi, Koko!” he grinned, adjusting his seat on her stomach. Aiko smiled.</p><p>“Hey, Kanto. Aren’t you supposed to be with Sokka?” The small boy shrugged.</p><p>“He’th tho boring,” he complained, his lisp showing through. “All he ever doth is yell ‘Thow no fear!’ and other thtupid thtuff.” Aiko gave a small laugh, ruffling the boy’s hair.</p><p>“I’ll tell you what,” she began, sitting up and moving Kanto into her lap. “Just let me finish sharpening this and I’ll come show Sokka how it’s done, okay?” Kanto’s smile grew wider.</p><p>“Okay!” He clambered off and ran back to where Aiko assumed Sokka had gathered all the youngsters, sending up sprays of snow behind him. Aiko smiled to herself, shaking her head at the boy’s antics.</p><p>True to her word, Aiko finished the spearhead and set it aside, getting up to go find Sokka. She spotted him a few minutes later with the children of the tribe seated in front of him, brandishing his boomerang and talking about how “the Southern Water Tribe fights to the last man standing!”</p><p>The kids looked bored out of their minds. Two had rolled onto their sides and fallen asleep in the snow, and another three looked about ready to do the same. Sokka didn’t seem to notice. Rolling her eyes, Aiko stepped forward, flipping a practice blade expertly.</p><p>“Step aside,” she muttered, elbowing Sokka in the ribs. The young boys perked up, sitting up a bit straighter.</p><p>“Hey!” Sokka cried indignantly, rubbing at where Aiko had hit him. “I’m in the middle of something!”</p><p>“Nope, you’re done.” And with that she stepped in front of the boys, her hand on her hips. “All right, which one of you is the best fighter?” All the boys raised their hands, waving them for attention. Aiko pretended to look over them, considering each one for a moment before straightening once more.</p><p>“Hm… I guess we’ll have to find out then,” she said. “We’ll have a series of sparring matches to find out who the best warrior in the village is.” A boy in the front raised a hand.</p><p>“Yes, Tuktu?”</p><p>“Does the best warrior get a prize?” Aiko smirked. </p><p>“I think Sokka is willing to share some of his seal jerky with whoever does best.” Several feet away, Sokka began to sputter out a reply, but Aiko simply kept talking. “All right, now who wants to go first?”</p><p>*****</p><p>“Good, Kanto!” Aiko praised, noting the boy’s stance, which wasn’t bad at all for a five-year-old. “Akta, get your hands up higher. You’re leaving your face open.”</p><p>“Koko!” one of the other boys shouted. Aiko turned at the nickname, motioning for the two sparring boys to pause their match. “Look!” He was pointing towards the Fire Nation ship that had been stranded in the ice years ago. It took Aiko a moment to see just what he was pointing at.</p><p>A bright flare rose into the sky before exploding, bathing the clouds nearby in red and then showering back down.</p><p>“Oh, no.” Aiko took a measured breath, turning back to the boys. She scanned over then, looking for the oldest in the group.</p><p>“Kallik, I need you to make sure everybody finds their mother, okay?” The nine-year-old saluted dutifully before beginning to herd the younger boys back to the village. Aiko hurried to Hakoda’s tent, finding Sokka inside.</p><p>“Is Katara back?” she demanded. The Water Tribe boy shook his head, eyes wide and mouth stuffed with bread. Aiko cursed, shoving her sword into her belt and marching back out. She heard a muffled “Wait for me!” as she exited, but paid Sokka no mind.</p><p>She got about a third of the way to the ship when she saw Aang and Katara running towards her across the snow.</p><p>“Were you two in the ship?” Aiko demanded as soon as they were close enough to hear. Katara gave a hesitant nod. “And who’s idea was that?”</p><p>“Mine,” Aang said timidly. Aiko glared, shoving down the urge to throw the boy out into the sea. </p><p>“And you?” she said, turning to Katara. “You thought it was a good idea?”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Katara muttered as Sokka caught up, her gaze on the snow beneath their feet.</p><p>“You’re sorry?” Aiko said incredulously. “If there was a Fire Nation ship anywhere nearby, then they are on their way right now, and all you have to say for yourself is that you’re sorry?” Sokka placed a hand on Aiko’s shoulder in a silent signal to calm down. It was shrugged off as Aiko scoffed.</p><p>“Penguin sledding,” she muttered with a mirthless laugh before storming off back in the direction of the village, swearing under her breath. </p><p>“Wait, so what happened?” Sokka asked, still confused. Aang gave him a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck.</p><p>“There was a booby trap, and we… Well, we boobied right into it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Spare a kudo for your unmotivated writer?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Ugliest Ponytail You’ve Ever Seen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Aiko and Sokka make a stand that doesn't work quite too well.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka and Aiko sat in their tent, helping each other with their war paint. The thick, oily substance not only was traditional but helped with the glare of the sun. And both teens knew that they were going to need all the help they could get. </p><p>Aiko brushed the last of the black paint under Sokka's eyes before standing, taking her spear and whalebone sword. She smiled slightly, remembering how Sokka had challenged her to a duel with a weapon not unlike the one she held when they first met. However, the threat they now faced required more skill than she had then.</p><p>She only hoped that the rest of the Tribe could make it away safely.</p><p>With a grim determination, they headed out into the snow.</p><p>The Fire Nation ship was enormous, easily ten times bigger than any Water Tribe vessel and built entirely out of iron. Aiko wished it was wooden so she could simply burn it down to the water. As it was, the front of the ship unhinged, causing her and Sokka to scramble back to avoid being crushed.</p><p>"Where is the Avatar?" came the question without preamble. The voice, not quite that of an adult, belonged to a male in elegant armour, standing in front of several other soldiers. It had a slight rasp to it, one that Aiko found painfully familiar, though she couldn't place just where she remembered it from. She'd been away from her homeland for five years and hardly recalled what the capital city looked like, much less someone's voice. She wondered if she'd even recognize her father if she saw him.</p><p>As soon as the leading male stepped into the snow, Sokka charged at him, his club held high. The Fire Nation teen kicked him aside like a bothersome insect, landing Sokka face-first in the snow. He stared at her expectantly, probably expecting her to charge into battle as well. But Aiko held still. </p><p>"I know that you're hiding him," the armoured teen continued. "Just hand him over, and I will leave this village in peace." By this time Sokka had regained his wits and ran him again, this time with his spear. Aiko rolled her eyes as with one sweep of his arms, the Fire Nation teen snapped the weapon in half, hitting Sokka in the head with the blunt end several times for good measure.</p><p>But Sokka wouldn't stay down. He threw his boomerang hard. The other dodged easily, scoffing at Sokka's attempt. Aiko guessed he didn't know how a boomerang worked.</p><p>The look on his face when the weapon hit him from behind was priceless.</p><p>"Nice aim," Aiko smirked, clasping Sokka's arm in the traditional Water Tribe way and hauling him up.</p><p>"That's it!" the Fire Nation teen yelled, dusting snow from his armour. "Tell me where the Avatar is before I burn your stupid tents to the ground!" As if to emphasize his point, he threw fire over their heads, aiming for the tents behind them. Aiko quickly bent the flames away, forcing them back at the soldiers. A collective murmur went up from the men, which was quickly silenced.</p><p>The teen raised his hands to attack once more but was again knocked off his feet, this time by a blur of orange and yellow.</p><p>"Looking for me?" Aang offered, climbing off of a penguin with a grin. The armoured teen looked livid.</p><p>"You're the Avatar? You're just a child!" Aang looked confused.</p><p>"Well, you're just a teenager." There was a moment's silence before Aang continued. </p><p>"If I go with you, do you promise to leave the Water Tribe alone?"</p><p>"Aang, no!" Katara yelled, pushing forward. Aiko gave her a pointed look, quieting her quickly. After a moment, the Fire Nation teen nodded.</p><p>"We take the firebender, too," he added. Aiko gripped the handle of her sword.</p><p>"I'm not a bargaining chip to be tossed around," she glared. "I'm staying." </p><p>"Then I'm attacking," the other teen shot back. Aiko bit her lip, glancing back at the village. There was no one to protect it. Sokka's "warriors" were no more than children and most of the women weren't trained in combat. They could easily annihilate the rest of the Tribe right then and there.</p><p>"Fine," she said at length. Then, quieter, "Just don't hurt them." The Fire Nation teen smirked under his helmet.</p><p>"Drop your weapons and come forward," he ordered. Aiko did as told, laying her spear and sword in the snow before stepping towards the group of soldiers. One of them produced a length of chain, shoving her to her knees before tightly securing her wrists together. An attempt to loosen the restraints only made them tighter, and Aiko winced as the metal pressed uncomfortably against her skin.</p><p>She could see Sokka's pained expression and the tears building in Katara's eyes. She tried for a confident smile.</p><p>"I'll be fine," she assured. Katara nodded, not believing her for one moment.</p><p>And just like that, the huge ship was gone.</p><p>*****</p><p>Aiko made it known that she didn't want to be on the Fire Nation ship. She baulked at every turn, enraging the soldier shoving her along. She smirked under her war paint. She may have gone willingly but that didn't mean she wasn't going to give them hell. </p><p>"Who is this?" a new voice asked. Aiko's head shot up, searching for the source. She knew that voice, the slight accent and low rumble sparking memories in her mind. It was impossible.</p><p>Her gaze rested on an older, portly man, hair and beard grey with age. The last time she'd seen him, his hair had been pure black like her own. She stumbled, not purposefully this time. Suddenly, she was more grateful than ever for the paint that hid her face.</p><p>"We found a firebender in the Water Tribe," the teen glared, removing his helmet to reveal a mostly shaved head and a dark burn scar across his left eye. Aiko winced at the sight of it. She'd been burned before, but never that bad.</p><p>"And you saw it fit to bring her in chains?" the older man asked. (Aiko would not call him her father. Surely it couldn't be him.)</p><p>"I want her questioned." The man sighed. However, the younger firebender paid him no attention. "Take her to the empty room." And then Aiko was being dragged down a flight of stairs, down into the dark belly of the ship.</p><p>She was shoved into a room, her chains unclasped. Immediately, she shot fire at the soldiers that led her down there, but one of them deftly hit several points along her arms. She found herself unable to use them to bend.</p><p>"Oh, so that's how we're gonna play it," she smirked, breathing in deeply. Then, without warning, she breathed a wave of fire, laughing at their shouts of surprise. It was at this moment that the angry-looking teen appeared.</p><p>"Sit down," he snarled, pointing to the small table in the middle of the room. "And wipe that stupid paint off of your face." A rag was tossed at her, but she stared defiantly into the teen's eyes. Pale gold, she noticed. Maybe a shade lighter than her own. </p><p>There was a silent challenge, neither teen wanting to be the first to break eye contact. Eventually, the boy looked away, swearing under his breath and muttering something to a soldier at his left. The man disappeared, only to return a moment later with a large bowl of water.</p><p>Another man grabbed her from behind, grabbing a handful of Aiko's hair and forcing her face into the water. She inhaled too late and choked, coughing violently as she was pulled back up.</p><p>"W-What the hell?!" she managed. She held her stomach as she coughed several more times, water coming from her mouth. The paint that was previously on her face now ran down her neck, and she wiped it away with her sleeve, smudging it with black and white.</p><p>"Sit down," the teen said again. Aiko did so, though not before she knocked the bowl of water out of the soldier’s hands. The other teen's hands clenched with barely-controlled anger.</p><p>"What is going on?" the older man from before asked, coming down the stairs. Aiko ducked her head, letting her hair fall over her face. On the off chance that this man was her father, she wouldn't take any chances of him recognizing her. The man's gaze drifted across the room, at the water on the floor and the girl now sitting quietly at the table.</p><p>"I want to question her," the scarred teen glared, "but she won't cooperate." The man sighed. </p><p>"Bring my set in here," he said, his tone final despite its gentleness. "I will question her." The teen looked like he wanted to explode, but turned on his heel sharply and left the room. </p><p>"Forgive my nephew," the man said, sitting down across from Aiko and folding his hands on the tabletop. "He has had a difficult few years." Aiko bit her tongue. If - and only if - this man was in fact General Iroh, that would mean the teen he called his nephew was...</p><p>Zuko.</p><p>A soldier came into the room, setting a tray in front of the man and breaking Aiko out of her thoughts. He was dismissed with a thank you, and the man began pouring water into a cup.</p><p>"Would you care for some tea?" he asked. "You strike me as someone with an appreciation for ginseng." Aiko remained silent, staring at the tabletop. She wasn't going to let anyone get anything out of her, whether that be by violence or kindness. The man hummed.</p><p>"Well, I will set a cup aside for you anyway, in case you want to drink." He stirred a few leaves and a small spoonful of sugar into the hot water, setting the cup in front of Aiko. She knocked it aside with the back of her hand without looking up. The man seemed unfazed.</p><p>"Do you mind telling me your name?" he asked, stirring his own tea. No answer. He sipped from his cup a few times before speaking again.</p><p>"My name is Iroh," he smiled. Aiko choked. He didn't seem to notice and simply continued speaking. "The man that brought me my tea set is Lieutenant Jee, a good friend of mine." There was a soft sigh.</p><p>"I understand that you must be angry at us for taking you from your Tribe. We simply want to know what a firebender was doing at the South Pole. No one will hurt you aboard this ship, I will make sure of it." Aiko glanced up through her bangs.</p><p>"I don't need your protection," she muttered. He nodded.</p><p>"I am sure," he said. "I am told that you were ready to stand against all of our men. You must have a true warrior's heart." Aiko scoffed.</p><p>"I wasn't alone." Iroh nodded slowly.</p><p>"How long have you been at the South Pole?" he asked. Aiko didn't answer this. After all, it wasn't that far of a stretch for him to realise, "Hey, my daughter, also a firebender and who should be about your age, coincidentally went missing at the same time you came to the south."</p><p>Iroh poured more tea before glancing up.</p><p>"Are you sure you don't want a cup?" If looks could kill, Iroh would be six feet under.</p><p>"Ask me one more time and I swear I'll set your beard on fire." The threat was met with the same calm nonchalance as all her other words. And that frustrated Aiko to no end. He was showing her respect, and her first instinct was to do the same. She wished it was the teen in the room instead. With him at least she wouldn't feel the slightest bit of remorse at setting that stupid ponytail of his ablaze.</p><p>"What happened?" she asked before she could stop herself. "To--" she caught herself before she said Zuko's name. "To your nephew?"</p><p>"He was banished until he could bring home the Avatar," Iroh replied. Aiko bit her lip. She had known Ozai was cruel, but banishing his son and forcing him to chase someone that no one truly knew existed?</p><p>Then again, he was Fire Nation. What else did she expect? </p><p>Iroh began to ask another question, but it was cut off by a sudden commotion on deck. He set his cup down, standing and making his way out of the small room. Aiko ran for the door, trying to grab it before it locked. No such luck.</p><p>But then she smiled. A lock like that couldn't hold her.</p><p>She took a deep, slow breath, gathering her chi and forcing it out in one explosive blast. The force threw her back a few feet, but when the smoke cleared, the door was wide open. She smirked, running up onto the deck. Sure enough, Aang had escaped and was wreaking havoc on the ship.</p><p>Aiko dashed forward, sweeping aside a wave of fire with one of her own.</p><p>"Need some help?" she grinned, glancing momentarily at the young Airbender. Aang returned the smile.</p><p>"Thanks!" he said cheerfully before going back to flattening Fire Nation soldiers with powerful sweeps of air. Aiko forced another explosion, creating a crater in the deck and throwing several soldiers backwards. Unfortunately, the blast had her staggering back as well. Her next step met nothing but air and with panic, she felt herself begin to fall.</p><p>A hand grabbed her at the last moment, pulling her back to the safety of the deck. She smiled at the one pulling her up.</p><p>"Can't have you falling into the water again," Sokka grinned. Aiko shoved him good-naturedly.</p><p>"Shut up and help me knock some Fire Nation heads."</p><p>*****</p><p>Aiko barely made it back onto Aang's flying bison. She'd never used her bending so much, and it left her light-headed and unsteady. Katara had to all but drag her onto the bison's back.</p><p>"Are you okay?" Katara asked, Sokka sitting a few feet away. Aiko tried to focus on the horizon, something Hakoda had often told her to do then she began to feel seasick.</p><p>"No," she admitted. Katara frowned, trying to put a hand to her forehead, which was quickly pushed away. The younger girl sat cross-legged in front of her.</p><p>"What's wrong?" she asked, her tone gentle. Sighing, Aiko glanced up, eyes stinging.</p><p>"My father was on that ship."</p><p>And then she was crying. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because somewhere deep inside, no matter how long she lived at the South Pole, she wanted to go back to her birthplace, to her home. Despite being a Fire Nation prince, her father had always been so kind to her. And to have lost both children in the span of a few weeks... It must have caused so much pain.</p><p>She would never say it out loud, but she wanted so badly to look up at Iroh and tell him who she was. She wanted to know what had happened to Zuko, what had changed him from the gentle, happy person she had known.</p><p>"Oh, Aiko..." Katara hugged her gently, holding her as her breath hitched. Sokka moved over to place a reassuring hand on Aiko's shoulder. It was odd to see her as the one in need of comfort. Usually, it was her dispelling Sokka's fears of never becoming the warrior and chief that his father was or reassuring Katara when she became frustrated with her lack of progress in waterbending.</p><p>"Did he recognize you?" Sokka asked. Aiko, shook her head, wiping away tears with the backs of her hands. She took a sharp, shaky breath.</p><p>"I don't think so." Sokka nodded silently.</p><p>"Okay. Good." Katara rounded on him.</p><p>"Good?!" she said. "You think it's good that a man didn't recognize his own daughter?" Aiko put a placating hand over Katara's.</p><p>"Yes, it's good," she said. "If he finds out who I am, he'll work harder to find us. It's better this way."</p><p>"And that angry guy?" Sokka asked. "Who's that?" Aiko looked at the floor.</p><p>"That's my cousin. Zuko." Sokka's eyebrows went up into his hairline.</p><p>"That's the same cousin who cried when his favourite duck went kaput?" Aiko smiled fondly at the memory.</p><p>"The very same."</p><p>*****</p><p>Zuko seethed on the deck of his ship. Not only had the Avatar and that infuriating firebender escaped, but his ship was terribly damaged. And to top it all off, his uncle was regarding the whole situation with the same pensive air he always carried.</p><p>As Zuko watched, arms folded neatly behind his back, Iroh came to stand beside him. There were a few beats of silence before the older man spoke.</p><p>"Do you remember your cousin Aiko?" Zuko's expression softened slightly, remembering the girl he'd played with in the gardens years ago.</p><p>"Of course, Uncle," he said. "Why?"</p><p>"Do you know what happened to her?" Zuko raised an eyebrow. It was common knowledge of what had happened to the young princess.</p><p>"She was taken and killed by a rebel group. Her body was found in the lake outside Caldera City. We were all there for her funeral." He looked over the water, the memories coming back to him. It had been a bright autumn day, the leaves just beginning to fall. There had been fireworks, bright and loud, just like her.</p><p>She would have loved it. Probably would have dragged Zuko out to spar in the gardens before they sat to feed the turtleducks. She would have snagged part of the loaf for herself when she thought he wasn't looking and he'd pretend not to notice, just like every time. Instead, her body burned, alight with flame for the last time. </p><p>Zuko remembered how hard he'd had to fight back tears, trying to look strong as the new crown prince.</p><p>"The reports were false," Iroh said softly. Zuko whirled.</p><p>"What?" Iroh nodded.</p><p>"I was first informed that she'd wandered into a weapons room and tampered with explosives," he said. So the assassination story had been a cover. That meant something else had happened, something Ozai didn't know or perhaps wanted to be covered up. Zuko's eyes widened slightly. </p><p>"Did my father...?"</p><p>"No. Your father had nothing to do with her disappearance." There were a few moments of silence before Zuko spoke once more.</p><p>"Why are you telling me this now?" Iroh tucked his hands into his sleeves before answering.</p><p>"I believe that girl was Aiko." </p><p>Zuko stared at him for a moment, bewildered. Then he rolled his eyes dismissively.</p><p>"That's impossible," he said. "She would have recognized you." Iroh gave a slight smile, remembering how the girl had startled when he told her his name.</p><p>"She did."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>80 hits as of today!! That’s a big number!! (At least to me)</p><p>Thank you guys!</p><p> </p><p>...Spare a kudo?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Visiting the Dead Airbenders</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Aiko learns that apparently, Avatars can be used as very angry night lights.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aiko hated flying more than she hated being on a boat, and that was saying a lot. She'd lost her breakfast while on a fishing trip on more than one occasion. However, on a boat, if you fell over the side, someone on board could simply throw you a rope and pull you back up. But they were hundreds of feet in the air now. One wrong step and that was it.</p><p> </p><p>She stared intently at the horizon line, trying to keep her nausea at bay. Katara squeezed her hand sympathetically, offering a bottle of water. Aiko gave a tight smile, taking the water and drinking a bit before handing it back.</p><p> </p><p>"You seem like you're still shaken up," she said softly. Aiko shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>"I'll be fine," she muttered, going back to staring across the water. She could hear Katara sigh quietly. Aiko knew the younger girl hated it when she simply forced her way through rough patches, always talking about how bottling emotions was unhealthy or something like that. But she was a firebender. She faced issues head-on and blasted through them.</p><p> </p><p>In front of them, Aang was rambling to Sokka about the Air Temple.</p><p> </p><p>"You guys are gonna love it!" he grinned excitedly. "I'll show you guys the gardens and the training grounds. Oh! And the airball court!" Sokka glanced at the two girls, his eyes pleading for help.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey, Aang?" Katara cut in gently. "I just... well, I don't think you should get your hopes up too much. A lot has probably changed since you were last there."</p><p> </p><p>"The Fire Nation is ruthless," Aiko added. "And the damage they could have done with the aid of Sozin's Comet is astronomical." Aang shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>"They couldn't have gotten to all of the airbenders," he said, ever the optimist. "The temple's built on this huge mountain and it's super hard to get to without airbending." Aiko sighed. This kid's bright and cheery outlook on life was going to get him killed someday.</p><p> </p><p>"Sun's going down in about an hour," Aiko commented a while later. Aang turned around.</p><p> </p><p>"How do you know?" he asked. Sokka waved a hand in the air dismissively.</p><p> </p><p>"It's a weird firebender thing. Don't ask." Aiko glared. She was not in the mood to deal with Sokka’s idiocy.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, well sorry not everyone can live by Tui and La,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Some of us have got to settle for the spirit of Agni. So sorry we got out bending from dragons and not some space rock.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m just saying I’d rather learn from the heavens than killer fire breathing lizards,” Sokka argued back, crossing his arms. Aiko made a low noise in the back of her throat.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll show you a fire breathing lizard,” she muttered, shifting to stand up. Katara caught her shoulder, shoving her back down.</p><p> </p><p>“Stop it, both of you,” she said sternly. “If we’re going to do this, we can’t be at each other’s throats.” Both of the older teens glared at each other for a moment before turning away, Aiko breathing a wisp of fire for good measure.</p><p> </p><p>Aang brought his sky bison down as the sun was setting. Aiko was off as soon as Appa touched the ground, more grateful than ever to be back on the solid… grass?</p><p> </p><p>Her face lit up as she sighed contentedly, laying back on the ground and letting the smell of greenery fill her senses. Out of all the things she had growing up, this was what she missed most. Well, that and warmth, which there also wasn’t much of in the south.</p><p> </p><p>“You look like you haven’t seen grass in years,” Aang laughed, laying down beside her. Aiko smiled.</p><p> </p><p>“I haven’t,” she shrugged, rolling onto her stomach. “Agni, I missed being warm all the time.” She shed her thick parka, leaving her in a short-sleeved shirt and thin pants, smiling at the late evening sun.</p><p> </p><p>A few blissful minutes later, Aiko got up to help Katara and Sokka with the tents. Kanna had given them two, which was fine in all respects, though Aiko did feel bad for Aang. He, unlike her and Katara, probably wouldn’t be able to sleep through Sokka’s snoring.</p><p> </p><p>Aiko was out as soon as she pulled her blanket around herself.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Firebender instincts were stupid, Aiko decided. Waking up at the crack of dawn had its advantages sometimes, but that made it difficult to sleep during the days of the midnight sun and even more difficult to wake up during the polar nights. Now, she was sitting up despite still being sore and exhausted from the previous day.</p><p> </p><p>Might as well start the day.</p><p> </p><p>Aiko stood, making her way out of the tent quietly. She built a small fire and got breakfast going, getting some meat and bread out of their supply packs. There was a rustling from the boys’ tent a few minutes later, and Aang emerged, rubbing at his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning!” he said cheerfully. Aiko gave a small nod in return, going back to the food she was preparing. Aang winced when he saw the seal jerky.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you have anything else in there?” he asked carefully, as if afraid of being impolite. “It’s just, the monks always stressed the importance of all life and–” Aiko waved dismissively.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re fine. I’ve got some berry preserves in here.” She dug the jar out of the bottom of one of the packs, handing it to Aang along with a spoon and a slice of bread. The young boy gave a grateful smile and began eating.</p><p> </p><p>Katara and Sokka were up a few minutes later, eagerly taking the breakfast Aiko offered and then helping her gather their belongings. </p><p> </p><p>“Where to today?” Sokka asked, glancing over his maps. Aang grinned excitedly.</p><p> </p><p>“The Southern Air Temple,” he replied, jumping up onto Appa. Katara glanced up at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Aang, we told you-”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Aang said, cutting her off. “But I just don’t think the Airbenders could have all gotten wiped out. They’re probably just in hiding. You’ll see.” Katara glanced at Aiko for help, but the older girl simply shrugged, climbing onto the bison. Within minutes, they were in the air.</p><p> </p><p>Aang chattered the entire way to the Air Temple. Aiko couldn’t blame him; after all, that was to be expected from a fun-loving twelve-year-old excited to see his home after a hundred years powered by the berry preserves which Kanna always put a little too much sugar in. Sokka consulted his maps, Katara organized their supplies, and Aiko… well, she tried not to vomit.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, after several unpleasant hours, they touched down at the Air Temple. Aiko glanced around. The place looked miserable and desolate, what had once been bright colours chipped and dulled with age. Aang’s cheerful expression faltered.</p><p> </p><p>“This place used to be so beautiful,” he muttered. “It was sacred. How could they destroy something like this?” Aiko bit her lip. This is what she stood for before coming to the Water Tribe. This is what she would have helped do to anyone who didn’t side with the Fire Nation. In just three years, she would have been going off to war, destroying beauty like that of the Air Temples.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Aang?” she said. “What was that game you were talking about on the ride over?”</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>As soon as she saw the airball court, Aiko knew she was gone. Aang simply jumped up onto one of the many wooden pegs while she was forced to climb up. But getting on wasn’t the main issue. No, that had to be making her way across the tops of the poles.</p><p> </p><p>This was a game made for airbenders and airbenders only, Aiko soon learned. While she’d managed to jump between the poles without too much difficulty, she was simply no match for Aang. The game ended 14-1 in his favour.</p><p> </p><p>Despite the amalgamation of new bruises, Aiko couldn’t find it in her heart to be annoyed at the young boy, which was weird since she probably would have pummeled Sokka into the ground by now. Then again, he had just come back to find his home destroyed and Aiko was glad he was smiling again. He’d started talking once more, describing all of the rooms inside the temple that he found interesting.</p><p> </p><p>“Guys, I think you need to see this!” Aiko turned when she heard Sokka’s voice coming from some unknown location. She jumped down from the peg she was on, grabbing her spear and following Sokka’s voice. Aang was right behind her, eyes sparkling with excitement.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s up?” she asked, catching a glimpse of the two Water Tribe siblings. Katara stood next to a pile of snow, smiling nervously.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing!” she shrugged. “I just wanted to show you guys a new waterbending move I figured out.” Aiko raised an eyebrow. Katara was no good at lying under pressure. However, Aang didn’t seem to notice.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s great!” he smiled. “But here, I wanna show you guys the courtyard.” And off he went once more, running off into the temple. Aiko glanced at Sokka.</p><p> </p><p>“Careful,” he said, a grim expression on his face. “You might step on someone.” Aiko’s eyes widened slightly.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t mean…” Sokka nodded, swallowing hard. Aiko nodded slowly and followed after Aang with the other two.</p><p> </p><p>The young airbender had run ahead, but stopped in front of a large door. He muttered something about never being allowed in there before, but Sokka marched right up to it, trying to pry it open with his spear. </p><p> </p><p>“Where’s the key?” Sokka muttered, frustrated that he wasn’t able to open the room. Aang grinned, running up beside him.</p><p> </p><p>“The key,” he said, “is airbending.” And with that he forced a gust of air into the holes in the doors.</p><p> </p><p>They swung open smoothly, revealing an enormous room lined with what must have been hundreds of statues. Aiko slipped through the open doors silently, looking around the room in awe. Each and every statue was intricately and perfectly carved, capturing a person’s likeness in stone.</p><p> </p><p>“I think these are your past lives, Aang,” Katara said, still lingering in the doorway. Aiko walked deeper and deeper into the room, fingers skimming across the statues. She stopped, her hand pausing on the statue of a female Avatar. Narrow eyes and a small nose marked her as Fire Nation, as did the style of her clothes. She had to have been from several hundred years ago, her robes reflecting the garments only worn by the Fire Sages or on special occasions.</p><p> </p><p>Aiko smiled slightly, drawn in by her warm expression. This had been the face of her nation long ago. Devoted to peace, gentle, full of life and warmth. </p><p> </p><p>Sokka and Aang were bickering about something, but Aiko paid them no mind. She’d noticed a mark on the past Avatar’s forehead, a pointed oval with three lines through it. Aiko could have sworn she’d seen the emblem before, but had no clue as to why it would be on someone’s face. She reached tentatively to touch it.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as her fingers made contact, the statue’s eyes glowed gold. Aiko startled, jerking her hand back. The glow died as quickly as it had come.</p><p> </p><p>But her interest had been piqued. She glanced over her shoulder, looking for the three others. They were nowhere to be seen. But they knew where she was, right? They would find her when they needed her.</p><p> </p><p>She reached up once more.</p><p> </p><p>Again, the statue’s eyes began to glow, soon growing so bright that Aiko had to shield her eyes. And suddenly she was falling, down, down, down into darkness.</p><p> </p><p>She landed on something soft. Opening her eyes, she realized she was in a very unfamiliar landscape. She scrambled up, reaching to her waist for her whalebone sword. But it wasn’t there. In fact, neither was her belt or her Water Tribe clothes. Instead, she was dressed in a deep shade of red. </p><p> </p><p>“Calm yourself, child.” Aiko whirled towards the voice, relaxing slightly when she saw it was the Avatar from before.</p><p> </p><p>“What is this place?” Aiko demanded. “Who are you?” The woman simply sat in the grass, her legs tucked nearly underneath her.</p><p> </p><p>“I am Avatar Akane,” she answered after a few beats of silence. “And this is the site on which Caldera City will one day be built.” Aiko looked around, noting for the first time that they were in fact in the crater of a volcano. </p><p> </p><p>“Why am I here?” Avatar Akane simply shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>“You touched my statue, did you not?” She waved a gloved hand and a small tea set appeared in front of her. She glanced expectantly up at Aiko. “Well? Go on, sit down.” Aiko did so slowly.</p><p> </p><p>“But there has to be more to it,” she said. Akane hummed, pouring boiling water into a small ceramic cup.</p><p> </p><p>“Does there?” she mulled. “If either of the Water Tribe children had found my statue and taken interest in my mark, do you think I would not have shown myself to them?” Aiko shifted tensely, her gaze falling to the ground.</p><p> </p><p>“I-I just thought,” she stammered awkwardly. “Well, y’know, since we’re both Fire Nation, that maybe you… had something to tell me, I guess?” She wrung her hands, realising how ridiculous she sounded. It wasn’t like she was special. She was a firebender within the Water Tribe. A princess without a throne.</p><p> </p><p>But oddly enough, Akane gave a soft smile.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re right, no need to be so tense.” She handed Aiko a cup of tea and stood with one of her own, the rest of the set vanishing. “Come, Aiko. Walk with me.” The young girl stood, having to almost jog to keep up with the Avatar’s long strides. For the first time, Aiko noticed just how tall the woman was, standing at least a foot taller than her.</p><p> </p><p>“In my day, the Fire Nation was but a shadow of the great empire it was to become,” Akane began. “It has become powerful, but so, very corrupt. It needs a leader. Someone pure in heart and with unshakeable honour.” Aiko huffed.</p><p> </p><p>“Good luck finding someone like that in the whole nation, much less the royal family,” she muttered, sipping at the cooling tea in her hands. She glanced up to find bronze eyes staring down at her. “Why are you looking at me like that?”</p><p> </p><p>It took her a moment to understand.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, what?! Nonono, nope. You are not getting me anywhere near the palace and that is the hill I will die on.” Akane regarded her silently for a moment.</p><p> </p><p>“We will speak on this topic again soon,” she said at length. “Right now, you must go back to your world.” </p><p> </p><p>“Wait, seriously?” Aiko exclaimed. “You’re going to say that kind of stuff and just send me away? I-I still have so many questions. Why are you showing yourself to me? What does the mark on your forehead mean?” Avatar Akane silenced her with a stern look.</p><p> </p><p>“I will answer everything in due time.” Aiko rolled her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you, my spirit guide?” She didn’t really believe in all that junk. What sane person would? The Avatar looked mildly amused.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, look at that,” she said with a smile. “You got one right.”</p><p> </p><p>And with that, everything faded to white.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Aiko gasped as she returned to what she seriously hoped was the normal world. She jerked her hand away from the statue, staggering backwards, her breath coming in small, panicked bursts. Hands caught her shoulders, familiar blue entering her vision. </p><p> </p><p>Sokka was telling her to calm down, his hands sliding down to grip her wrists. Katara and Aang were right beside him, both staring at her in confusion.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?” Sokka finally asked, breaking the silence. Aiko faltered.</p><p> </p><p>“T-The Avatar. She showed me something. She…” Aiko trailed off. Surely Avatar Akane couldn’t have been serious. She glanced at Aang, whose face had lit up with a wide grin.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s great!” the young airbender grinned, rocking forward on his tiptoes. “You must be super spiritual for a past Avatar to take interest in you.” Aiko shook her head.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t believe in all that,” she muttered. “Or, I didn’t until now.” Katara opened her mouth to ask another question, but Aiko cut her off with a hard stare. “Let’s just get out of here.”</p><p> </p><p>The four turned back towards the huge doors, but halted. A shadow loomed just outside the doorway. They glanced at each other, trying to figure out how to approach the situation.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s the Fire Nation,” Sokka hissed, readying his boomerang. Aiko’s hand drifted towards the blade on her belt as the shadow drifted closer. Then, the figure came into the light. Aang’s face lit up.</p><p> </p><p>“Lemur!” he cried, dashing forward. Sokka grinned, though for a different reason.</p><p> </p><p>“Food!” He joined the chase, running after the tiny creature. Aiko and Katara followed after them.</p><p> </p><p>“Stop!” Aiko yelled. “There’s not even any meat on that thing, Sokka!” Katara gave her a sound hit on the shoulder for that. But the two’s eager shouting had stopped.</p><p> </p><p>The two girls stepped into the area where they had seen the boys go, only to see Aang on his knees, looking like he was about to cry. Sokka stared, wide eyed.</p><p> </p><p>“Look, I’m sorry about that,” he began, thinking he had done something wrong. “I wasn’t really gonna eat the lemur, I just-” His voice dropped off, noticing what Aang was looking at. A bare skeleton sat against the wall, tattered clothing and a beaded necklace hanging loosely from it.</p><p> </p><p>The wind began to pick up, flinging around debris and dust. The three older teens tried to shield themselves against the sudden dust storm, glimpsing Aang in the centre of it all. His eyes were glowing, an expression of pure rage marring his features. It was similar to what he had exhibited the day prior in the south.</p><p> </p><p>In that moment, Aiko couldn’t see Aang. Only the Avatar. An Avatar that was angry at firebenders just like her. She wondered with sudden unease if he would try to exact his revenge.</p><p> </p><p>“He’s gonna blow this place off of the mountainside!” Sokka yelled over the wind, having come to hide behind a large rock with the two girls. Katara stood up despite the wind.</p><p> </p><p>“Aang!” she shouted. “I know you’re furious. The Fire Nation is ruthless, and they’ve taken so much from everyone. But feeding off of your anger isn’t the way to go.”</p><p> </p><p>“We know your pain,” Aiko added. “All three of us.” Aang turned towards them, seeming to regard their words for a moment. Then the wind began to quiet, the glow fading from Aang’s eyes as he lowered to the ground. Katara rushed forward to catch him, steadying him as he touched the floor.</p><p> </p><p>Aang looked broken, too broken for a twelve-year-old. Aiko knew the feeling. He’d been in stoic denial until the truth came crashing down on him and he couldn’t ignore it any longer.</p><p> </p><p>3173 words</p><p> </p><p>Hey delightful people!! Could I interest you in some Aiko doodles?</p><p> </p><p>
  <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XrcD13X-6QeLjhRONUXj1G4TnrOvu2gw/view?usp=drivesdk">These are my drawings :))</a>
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</p><p>Here you are! I hope you end up loving her as much as I do &lt;3</p><p> </p><p>-Jae, who put together a few features they found attractive and called it an OC</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Misogyny: Defeated</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> Hakoda placed a hand on the young girl’s shoulder as she dry heaved, tears pricking at her eyes. She was still unused to sea travel and throughout the week-long journey, Aiko had hardly been able to keep anything down. But she took it surprisingly well for a ten-year-old, never once complaining about hunger or discomfort. </em>
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  <em> “We’re landing in about an hour,” he reassured. “Go and try to get some sleep.” Aiko nodded silently, padding off to the cabin she’d been sleeping in for the past week. Hakoda stood, going back to his own cabin to glance over the maps again.  </em>
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  <em> The plan was to drop Aiko off at Kyoshi Island, go to the mainland to trade for a few days, and then check to make sure the island was fine with her staying there before heading back home. If the island wouldn’t take her...well, they’d have to figure out how to raise a firebender in the South Pole. </em>
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  <em> Bato came in a while later to let him know that they were about to dock. Hakoda nodded, rolling up his maps and putting them away before going to wake up Aiko. </em>
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  <em> The young girl sat up when she heard the door creak open, eyes still heavy with sleep. She must have understood what was going on because she quickly gathered her hair up into a clumsy topknot and followed the chief.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Hakoda, in the short month for which he’d known Aiko, had learned that she was an incredibly perceptive child, always able to figure things out without being told. And when she figured something out, she was always sure to tell about it with a confidence that demanded the truth. He wondered if that was her own character or if it was her upbringing showing through.  </em>
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  <em> Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aiko tightening the strap of her small bag. Kanna had packed some spare clothes and a bit of bread and seal jerky in it for her, though so far, she hadn’t touched either. </em>
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  <em> As soon as the ladder was lowered, Aiko scrambled down, jumping the rest of the way when she was close enough to the dock beneath. Hadoka was close behind, stepping up to a man at the other end of the dock and giving a nod of respect. Aiko stepped forward, giving a deep bow with one hand in a fist and the other cupping it, a gesture that was distinctly Fire Nation. The stranger raised an eyebrow at the southern chief. </em>
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  <em> “She’s from the colonies,” Hakoda lied quickly. “She tried to stop away on a ship to come here to Kyoshi Island but ended up at the South Pole instead.” The other man nodded. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I’m Oyaji,” he introduced, his words directed at Aiko. “I’m the governor of the island. Here, I’ll show you where the girls train.” He held out a hand. Aiko gave him a long look. The offered hand dropped and Oyaji cleared his throat, looking ruffled. Motioning for Aiko to follow, he began up the hill to where the rest of the islanders lived. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Aiko followed right behind him, gripping the strap of her bag tightly. Within minutes, she stood in front of a small building, chattering voices heard inside. Oyaji knelt to her height. Aiko glared at this. She was ten years old, for Agni’s sake. She wasn’t a baby. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I’m going to go and tell the leader of the warriors that you’re here, okay?” The young girl nodded. The man slipped through the door, coming back to motion her in a few moments later. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> A woman in traditional garb smiled at her, snapping her fans shut and tucking them into her belt. “You must be Aiko,” she said, leading her into the room with a hand on her shoulder. “We’re almost done with our morning training, but you can watch for the last few minutes if you’d like.” Aiko promptly sat down against the wall of the room, pulling her knees up and fixing her eyes on the girl nearest to her. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> A nine-year-old Suki twirled through her forms, moving with her fans as she’d been taught. She wore none of the makeup or armour that the older girls did and her fans had no blades at the ends, but that didn’t stop her from pretending. Finishing one set, she moved into the starting position of the next. </em>
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  <em> She felt someone grasp her elbow, moving it up a bit higher. Expecting it to be one of the older girls, she turned around. </em>
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  <em> But what she saw instead was a girl about her age, her face blank as she corrected Suki’s stance. </em>
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  <em> “It was wrong,” the girl stated simply before letting her hand drop back down. Suki glared, putting her hand on her hips. </em>
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  <em> “How do you know?” she shot back. “I’ve never even seen you before.” The other girl glared right back. </em>
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  <em> “I’ve trained with a sword before. I know how to fight.” Grey met gold in a silent challenge for a moment before Suki scoffed and went back to her forms. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the unfamiliar girl sit down on the floor, rummaging through a bag. After a few moments, she pulled out some kind of food Suki had never seen before and began to eat silently. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “What is that?” Suki demanded, sitting down cross-legged in front of the girl. Glancing up, she muttered, “Seal jerky. It’s Water Tribe.” Suki raised an eyebrow. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “You don’t look Water Tribe.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “That’s ‘cause I’m not.” The girls sat in silence for a few moments before the newcomer asked, “Want some?” </em>
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  <em> Suki shrugged, taking a piece and biting into it. It was hard and salty, but surprisingly good for what looked like a shrivelled-up piece of meat. </em>
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  <em> “It’s not bad,” she said. The other girl nodded. </em>
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  <em> “The bread is better.” Suki perked up at this. </em>
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  <em> “Do you have any?” Nodding, the girl began digging in her bag again, producing a small loaf of sourdough bread. She split it evenly in half and handed Suki a piece. The Earth Kingdom girl smiled as she took it, taking a large bite and muttering through a full mouth, “Thith ith really good.” She finished chewing before speaking again. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I’m Suki,” she said. “What’s your name?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Aiko.” Suki frowned. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “That sounds Fire Nation-y.” Aiko shrugged, taking another bite of bread. </em>
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  <em> “Are you here to learn how to be a Kyoshi Warrior?” Suki asked. Aiko nodded. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I read about them back home.” </em>
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  <em> On the other side of the room, the leader of the warriors was instructing the girls to clean up the equipment, announcing that it was time to go to lunch. Suki scrambled to her feet, giving the practice fans she held to an older girl and holding a hand out to Aiko. </em>
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  <em> “C’mon, I’ll show you where we eat.” </em>
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  <em> With a smile, Aiko took her new friend’s hand. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Sokka smoothed his map out in Appa’s saddle, glancing over their route. Aang scrambled over to look at the parchment.</p><p> </p><p>“Ooh, good, we’re close!” he grinned. Sokka raised an eyebrow.</p><p> </p><p>“Close to what?” They weren’t near any sizable towns, much less any big Earth Kingdom cities. What could this kid possibly have his eye on?</p><p> </p><p>“I want to ride the giant koi there,” Aang said, pointing to the small land mass on the map. “Kyoshi Island!”</p><p> </p><p>“What?!” Aiko exclaimed, looking up from where she was sharpening Sokka’s boomerang. She shifted over, glancing at the paper. Sure enough, they were perhaps an hour from the island. Aang practically vibrated with excitement, and she almost didn’t have the heart to tell him.</p><p> </p><p>“We can’t go there,” she said. Then, amending her words, “At least, I can’t.” Aang looked confused.</p><p> </p><p>“Why not?” The firebender sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“I might be wearing blue, but that doesn’t make me Water Tribe.” Aang glanced over the girl’s black hair and amber eyes. Even if she hid her firebending, she was still Fire Nation, inside and out. But it had been a hundred years since Aang truly knew the world. He shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>“It’ll be fine,” he said. “I’m the Avatar after all. Whoever it is that lives there, they’ll listen to me.” Aiko sighed, her gaze on the floor of the saddle.</p><p> </p><p>“I sure hope so.”</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>The beach on Kyoshi Island turned out to be a very nice place. The water was reasonably warm and though the Water Tribe siblings chose to remain onshore, Aiko changed into a sleeveless shirt and shorts before getting in the shallows. Even though water wasn’t her element, she found it relaxing. It was calm and life-giving, nothing like fire.</p><p> </p><p>Aiko glanced up as Aang waded into the ocean, splashing excitedly. His sights were on the huge fish which swam further out in the water. Aiko gave an offhand “Be careful,” before he was out of earshot. Katara gave a glare.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Aiko shrugged. “The kid is the Avatar, he can handle himself.”</p><p> </p><p>She watched with mild amusement as Aang paddled out to where the koi were swimming, sinking deeper into the water. Shutting her eyes, she ducked completely underneath. This was what water was supposed to be like. Not freezing cold and deadly like at the South Pole but warm and gentle.</p><p> </p><p>Katara yelled something from the beach, but Aiko simply blew out a few bubbles. Did she always have to be so uptight? Aiko would have sighed if she could. As it was, she simply floated under the water. It was probably something stupid anyway.</p><p> </p><p>But Katara’s shouting grew more and more frantic. Aiko pushed up, breaking the surface and gasping in air. What was going on?</p><p> </p><p>Glancing over the water, she saw the fish swimming frantically away from something dark and looming under the water. Aang was floating on the surface, oblivious as to why all the koi were suddenly on the run. A huge, scaly dorsal fin broke the surface a few dozen metres behind Aang.</p><p> </p><p>So that was what Katara was yelling about.</p><p> </p><p>Aiko got out of the water, shooting fire into the air in an attempt to get Aang’s attention. When he finally glanced over, Katara yelled, “Sea monster!” pointing behind him urgently. The boy’s eyes widened almost comically as he started to swim as fast as he could, barely making it to shore.</p><p> </p><p>“And I thought the whales at the South Pole were huge,” Aiko muttered. “Guess this stop was fruitless.” And with that, she went to put her usual clothes back on.</p><p> </p><p>She’d just ducked behind a few rocks and put her shirt back on when someone grabbed her from behind, covering her eyes. Aiko let out an indignant “Hey!” before her mouth was covered too and someone twisted her arm into such an uncomfortable position she thought her shoulder might dislocate. The edge of what felt like a curved blade pressed against her throat.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t try anything,” a voice hissed in her ear. Aiko nodded mutely, mindful of the blade. She was pulled backwards, a gloved hand gripping her arm tightly. Letting out a shaky breath, she cursed Aang for dragging them to the island. Last time, she’d been given suspicious looks and eventually turned away, even with the word of a Water Tribe chief.</p><p> </p><p>But now she was seen as more of a threat and the islanders had no one to vouch for her. She couldn’t blame them for being distrustful. The Fire Nation was ruthless and they were only protecting themselves. She thought about using her explosions for a moment, but quickly decided against. </p><p> </p><p>She was pulled to a stop, her arms tied tightly to her sides and afterward, a rope held her tightly to what Aiko assumed was a pillar. Her mouth was uncovered, though the blindfold remained tightly over her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>She heard yelling drawing near, Sokka’s voice shouting in protest. Aiko could only assume that the other three had been caught as well. They must have been kept a ways away, since not a word could be made out.</p><p> </p><p>The blade at her throat rose, forcing her chin up and pressing threateningly harder against her skin. Aiko swallowed hard.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not going to attack you,” she said. Whoever was holding a knife to her throat scoffed.</p><p> </p><p>“Like you could right now,” a feminine voice retorted. Aiko had to force down a smirk.</p><p> </p><p>“You’d be surprised.” For that remark, the blade bit into her neck, splitting the skin there ever so slightly.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing here? Are you taking information back to the Fire Lord?” the girl demanded.</p><p> </p><p>“What? No! I’m from the Southern Water Tribe!” There was a laugh before the unseen girl spoke again.</p><p> </p><p>“Southern Water Tribe?” she repeated. “How stupid do you think I am?” Then, presumably to someone in the vicinity, “Get Suki over here. She’ll know how to handle this.” Aiko couldn’t help but smile at the name.</p><p> </p><p>“Suki?” she asked. “I know Suki!” For that, she only got a hissed, “Shut up, firebender.” Aiko groaned, leaning her head back against whatever it was she was tied to.</p><p> </p><p>“Suki’s one of the Kyoshi Warriors,” she began, listing off what she could remember. “Grey eyes, auburn hair, kinda scary at first but actually very sweet. Her favourite colour is green and when she was eight, she accidentally got a girl named Aiko stuck in one of the wells.” There was silence for a moment.</p><p> </p><p>“How do you know that?” asked a new voice. Aiko shrugged. </p><p> </p><p>“I was the one that got stuck.” The length of cloth over her eyes was pulled up, grey meeting gold. The warrior’s eyes flicked to the thin scar beside Aiko’s right eye where she’d cut the firebender with a bladed fan years ago. </p><p> </p><p>“Aiko?” The mentioned girl rolled her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“I already said that, but yes.” Giving her a scrutinizing glare, the Kyoshi warrior hummed quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re just like I remember,” she said before untying the knots that held Aiko to the pillar. Rubbing at her wrists, she stepped forward.</p><p> </p><p>“Can I go back and get my pants now?”</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>After the Kyoshi Warriors were finally convinced that Aiko wasn’t a threat, she was allowed to go and dress, as well as find Aang, Katara, and Sokka.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, you’re not dead!” Sokka cheered, clapping her on the back soundly. Aang grinned from beside them.</p><p> </p><p>“I told you they’d listen to the Avatar.” Aiko rolled her eyes but said nothing. If she was going to survive this trip with her sanity intact, she would have to pick her battles. The four talked for a few minutes before going their separate ways.</p><p> </p><p>Aiko headed to the edge of the island, hoping to get in some training before she was dragged into anything, whether that be chores with Katara or some shenanigans with Sokka or Aang. She went through the few bending forms she’d remembered through the years before drawing her whalebone sword and doing the same with it.</p><p> </p><p>There was a hand on her shoulder, moving it back so that she stood straighter in her stance. She glanced back, finding that it was Suki. The Kyoshi Warrior was smiling slightly, face unpainted and in casual clothes.</p><p> </p><p>“It was wrong,” she said with a smirk. Aiko huffed, rolling her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m a little out of practice.” Suki looked her over.</p><p> </p><p>“I can tell. Wanna come train with me and the girls?” Aiko slid her sword into her belt.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not looking to get my ass beat today,” she said, knowing very well that the warriors’ skill far surpassed her own. Suki shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>“You beat us all when we were kids. It’s about time we returned the favour.” Sighing, Aiko relented.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine, but you’re not getting me into one of those ridiculous uniforms.” </p><p> </p><p>“We’ll see,” Suki grinned, grabbing the older girl’s arm and practically dragging her to the training building.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “C’mon, no one will even find out,” Suki coaxed, dragging the slightly older girl through the village. Aiko didn’t protest much, as she wasn’t too keen on the afternoon exercises, which were mainly mundane things like running and stretching. Morning training and the evening sparring matches were much more interesting. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> It was right after lunch, and most were either cleaning up from the meal in their houses or heading to the training building, so there was no one to stop the two girls from running off into the woods. Suki had managed to snag two bladed fans and despite Aiko barely having a few days’ training, she was sure that neither of them would cut themselves, at least not too badly. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The two arrived in a small clearing, Suki giving their hands one last swing together before letting go and pulling the fans from her pocket. Aiko picked one up tentatively, running her finger along the bladed edge. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Sharp,” she muttered, glancing at her new friend. “Are you sure about this?” Suki shrugged. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “What’s the worst that can happen? Besides, it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.” Aiko raised an eyebrow at the statement. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “No it’s not.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Think about it this way,” Suki offered. “If you ask for permission and they say no, then you’ll be bored even though you could have been having fun doing whatever it is you want. But if you go ahead and do it, then at least you’ll have some fun before you get bored washing dishes or whatever they’ll make you do as a punishment.” Aiko thought for a moment. Suki made a strong argument. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I guess you’re right,” she relented. “Okay. Let’s do this.” Suki grinned triumphantly, handing her a fan. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Aiko smirked, swinging at Suki, hoping to catch her off guard. However, the younger girl anticipated the move, blocking with her own fan. Before they knew it, they were fighting as hard as two girls their age could. Despite Aiko’s training, Suki held her ground well, almost by sheer force of will. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Losing control for a moment, Suki sliced up with a small “Ha!” Aiko stumbled back, one hand going up to her temple. The younger girl’s eyes went wide. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I’m so sorry!” she cried. “Oh my gosh, did I hurt you?” Aiko moved her hand, a thin cut running down her face which was already trickling blood down her cheek. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “It’s fine,” she shrugged. “It hurts more when my cousin hits me when we’re sparring. Besides, cuts on your head always bleed a lot and make things look bad. My dad told me it’s because of all the blood vessels or something.” Suki nodded, satisfied that she hadn’t hurt her new friend too badly. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> The girls decided to go back then, not wanting to have another accident with the fans. Suki grabbed Aiko’s hand again, pulling her back through the woods and to the village. At some point it became a race, both dashing through the trees, shoving each other backward in an attempt to gain the upper hand. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Eventually they broke out from the trees, stumbling to a stop at the exact same time, both out of breath from their sprint. Suki gave a laugh, hugging Aiko suddenly and planting a kiss on her lips with a loud “muah!” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Aiko froze, eyes going wide. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Why would you do that?!” she demanded, stepping back from Suki. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “Sorry,” the younger girl apologized. “I should have asked permission first.”  </em> <em> Aiko spluttered for a moment, hands moving frantically. <br/></em></p><p> </p><p><em> “No, I- I don’t care about that,” she muttered. “It’s just... you’re sure that’s okay?” Suki raised an eyebrow, confused at her new friend’s nervousness. </em> <em> <br/></em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ”Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?” The younger girl frowned. “Is it because we’re both girls?” Aiko frowned, nodding silently. Suki raised an eyebrow at her. “Are... is it not allowed where you’re from?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Aiko shrugged. “I mean, technically it is,” she admitted. “I just... I don’t know how well it would go over in my family,” she finished, thinking of her expectations as a member of the royal family. Especially if she’d stayed on as next in line after her father, she would have been married to some nobleman when she came of age to further the bloodline of Sozin. Even if her father was unbothered by her inclination towards girls (which she suspected he would be, considering the way Lu Ten looked at both males and females his age), duty to the throne would have won out.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>But of course, Suki didn’t know any of this.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>”Well, there’s none of that here,” she promised. “Anyone can be with anyone they love. You don’t even have to stay a girl if you don’t want to. You can be a boy, or something in between.” Aiko glanced at her new friend warily.</em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> “So… So I don’t have to marry a man if I don’t want to? I-I can marry a girl?” Suki smiled. </em> <em> <br/></em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Of course!” Aiko’s face broke into a grin. She surged forward to hug Suki, squeezing her tightly as she laughed from pure joy. The Earth Kingdom girl didn’t understand why she was so overjoyed, but smiled nevertheless. As long as her friend was happy, she was happy too. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Aiko gave one last squeeze before pulling back. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “This place is amazing,” she breathed. “I wanna stay here forever.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>“Can you hold still for two minutes?” Suki asked, holding a paint-covered brush. “You keep making me smudge the red.”</p><p> </p><p>“Your paint is weird,” was all Aiko said in response. Suki hit her on the head with the handle of the brush.</p><p> </p><p>“I said don’t move,” she chided before going back to painting red over Aiko’s eyelids. The firebender suppressed the urge to knock the brush out of Suki’s hands. Kyoshi Warrior paint was dry and stiff, nothing like the oily paint the Southerners used. Finally, Suki leaned back with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>“All done!” she grinned. Aiko opened her eyes, grabbing the mirror that laid on the floor beside them. Her face was painted in neat warrior makeup just like Suki’s, making her look like an official Kyoshi Warrior. She couldn’t help but smile. Her nine-year-old self would have been beaming with excitement.</p><p> </p><p>Suki handed her two folded fans, smirking.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s see if you still have some of those skills you showed us last time.” And with that, Suki grabbed Aiko’s hands, pulling her up and back into the training room.</p><p> </p><p>Just from the few steps she took, Aiko could feel the heaviness of the warrior uniform. How on earth was she supposed to fight in this? The dress was long and constricting, her hair left loose instead of tied up like it usually was. She felt as if she was going to a ceremonial event rather than combat training.</p><p> </p><p>But somehow, she managed to get through the basic forms Suki taught her, fans slicing through the air as she spun and struck. The two soon began sparring, Suki clearly holding back, but not much. She seemed all too pleased to be soundly beating her childhood friend.</p><p> </p><p>A couple of hours later, Sokka peered into the training room, a cocky grin on his face and his boomerang in his belt. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, ladies,” he grins, sauntering up to the group of warriors. “Mind if I train with you for a bit?” Suki gave a knowing smile before turning from where she had just finished a sparring round with Aiko.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure?” she asked innocently, playing the part of a meek little girl all too convincingly. “Against a strong guy like you? I’m not sure if we’d even stand a chance.” Sokka grinned, and Aiko could practically see his ego swelling. </p><p> </p><p>“Maybe I could show you guys some moves,” Sokka offered with the fakest air of humility anyone had ever seen, leaning against the wall on his elbow and not-so-subtly flexing his arm. Aiko had to suppress the urge to gag. Suki smiled, nodding enthusiastically.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, go ahead.” Sokka, still wearing that stupid grin, stepped forward, sliding his boomerang out of his belt.</p><p> </p><p>“All right, this might be pretty hard,” he began, stepping up in front of Suki without even registering Aiko’s presence, “but try to block me.” He lunged at the warrior, who not only blocked his swing, but twisted him around and kicked the back of his knee, landing Sokka face-first on the floor. Aiko muffled a laugh in one of her long sleeves.</p><p> </p><p>Sokka stood back up and dusted himself off, his face very red.</p><p> </p><p>“I was going easy on you,” he muttered, fixing his belt. Suki smiled, a bit more teasingly than before.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, don’t hold back. I wanna see how it’s done.” Sokka let out a quiet, displeased huff before regaining his composure, flipping his boomerang in his hand expertly.</p><p> </p><p>He rushed at Suki again and quickly ended up on his knees with one arm twisted painfully behind his back. Though his wincing expression, Aiko could make out something else in his eyes. Was that… admiration? For a girl who’d just beat him into the dirt? In <em> her Sokka? </em></p><p> </p><p>And Suki! She’d just forced more Respecting Women Juice down that kid’s throat than Aiko or Katara ever had in their years of knowing him.</p><p> </p><p>The next thing she knew, Sokka was on his knees, begging (literally begging!) for Suki to teach and train him. The urge to pull a Katara and feel Sokka’s forehead for fever took over, and Aiko barely managed to force it down.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine, you can train with us,” Suki finally said, “but you have to follow our customs.” Then, with a smirk, “<em> All </em> of our customs.”</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Aiko burst out laughing when Sokka emerged in full Kyoshi Warrior regalia. She knew that under the paint, he had to be more red than ever before, judging by the way he glared embarrassedly at her. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s not funny!” he cried, his voice rising an octave from its normal pitch, hands clenched at his sides. “You’re wearing the same thing!” Pouting, Sokka crossed his arms.</p><p> </p><p>“You- You should see– <em> hahahaha! – </em>You should see your face!” Aiko managed. “You look so awkward!” She walked a few steps with her arms and legs stiff, imitating Sokka’s current gait, before dissolving into laughter again. “Oh, man, if only we had something that could record this moment forever.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, very funny,” Sokka grumbled. “I’m only doing this so I can learn how to fight.” Aiko shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>“You never know, maybe you’ll find dresses a bit more comfortable.” Sokka simply shoved past her, muttering something about “stupid little sisters.” Which was totally unfair. After all, she was a few months older than he was.</p><p> </p><p>She went back to going through the forms Suki had taught her, practicing for a little while longer before heading off to find Katara.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>The Fire Nation. They’d found them. Aiko had no time to dwell on how when she saw the iron ship, she just ran as fast as she could to find someone who would know what to do. As she ran, she could see soldiers spilling from the ship, mounting komodo rhinos. No, no, <em> no. </em> This was bad.</p><p> </p><p>“Fire Nation!” she yelled as she came into the village. The effect was immediate, parents pulling children inside, Kyoshi Warriors running to arm themselves. The island may have been neutral in the war, but they were most certainly not neutral to an attack on their people. She ran into Katara on her way to the warriors’ building. The two girls hugged tightly for a moment before Aiko pulled back, her hands still on Katara’s shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>“Be careful, okay?” she said. “And stick close to Aang. Protect each other.”</p><p> </p><p>“Where are you going?” Katara asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m gonna go and help the Kyoshi Warriors. I’ll be okay. Go find Aang.” Katara nodded, running off to do so.</p><p> </p><p>Komodo rhinos emerged from the woods, holding Prince Zuko and his troops. Aiko sent an explosion their way before dashing off once more.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay so I just wanted to clarify a minor detail. When Suki talks about “being a boy if you want to be” in the flashbacks, she’s saying that because she’s a kid and that’s the best way she knows how to put it. I, as the author, know that trans people don’t just “want to be” male, female, or non-binary, but they are. Sorry for any bad vibes I may have caused!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which Zuko’s visit to Kyoshi Island gets him a prize he wasn’t after.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey my wonderful people! I feel like there was some mix-up about Aiko’s age in earlier chapters, so I thought I’d clarify super quick.</p><p>Aiko is between Zuko and Sokka age-wise. Sokka says stuff about little sisters because in his mind, he’s more mature (he’s not, but we'll let the boy dream).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When had Aiko’s awkward turtleduck of a cousin turned into… this?</p><p> </p><p>Zuko burned buildings without remorse, throwing fire at anyone who wasn’t wearing the distinctive Fire Nation armour. Aiko wished she was a better firebender because at the moment there was nearly nothing she could do about the multitude of little fires starting up throughout the village.</p><p> </p><p>And so she faced her problems the only way she knew how: head-on and fueled by anger.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Ponytail!” she yelled, shooting fire in Zuko’s direction. “Over here!” Zuko swung off of his komodo rhino, rushing forward to meet her blasts. She fired at him incessantly, but not once did he fire back. For some reason this angered her further. He really had the audacity to chase after them to try and finally win the war for the Fire Nation, but wouldn’t put up a fight? She found herself having to forcefully remember that this was the same cousin she’d watched plays with.</p><p> </p><p>She didn’t know that Iroh had told him to bring her back unharmed.</p><p> </p><p>The two teens danced around each other, both getting winded quickly and ending up circling each other, the air above their hands wavering with heat.</p><p> </p><p>“Why are you doing this?” Aiko demanded, momentarily forgetting that she wasn’t supposed to let them recognize her. “Are you really this blind? Agni, Zuko, I knew you were dense but this is a whole new level of stupid.” Zuko smirked.</p><p> </p><p>“So it is you.” Aiko was confused for a moment before realizing what she’d said. She swore harshly under her breath, a few stray flames flickering out of her fingertips.</p><p> </p><p>“That doesn’t matter,” she glared, then continued before Zuko could get a word in. “What matters is that you’re on the wrong side of this war.” It was Zuko’s turn to glare.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t care about sides,” he shot back, ignoring a muttered “You should” from Aiko. “I need to gain back my father’s favour, and in order to do that, I need the Avatar.” Aiko scoffed. She knew exactly what kind of man Ozai was. Zuko could win five wars for him and still the prince wouldn’t have his father’s love.</p><p> </p><p>Getting impatient with all the small talk, Aiko threw as much fire as she could summon at Zuko. While the prince put out the flames, Aiko dashed off, weaving through the battle. Even if this fight was won, the people of Kyoshi island wouldn’t have a home anymore if the fires spread at this rate.</p><p> </p><p>Planting her feet firmly, she held her hands out towards a house in front of her, focusing on the flames that crawled up its walls. If she could force fire out of her body, it stood to reason that she could force it back in. With a wave of her hands, she directed the flames, forcing her chi to accept them as her own.</p><p> </p><p>The action made her feel warm – uncomfortably so. And it felt so wrong. She knew that this wasn’t the way to go, but it was the only way she could think of.</p><p> </p><p>Moving from place to place, she put out fires as Kyoshi warriors and Fire Nation soldiers fought around her, each blaze making her head feel lighter and her skin feel warmer. She took a knee for a moment, bracing one hand against the ground as she breathed hard. She stood back up, only to hear someone yell, “Look out!”</p><p> </p><p>Before Aiko even had a chance to turn, an arm wrapped around her throat from behind, cutting off her airway. She struggled to pull it away, kicking and elbowing whoever it was behind her in an attempt to get them to loosen their grip.</p><p> </p><p>It was no use. She was out within moments.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>“I ordered you to bring her back unharmed!” Prince Zuko fumed as Aiko was dumped onto the deck of his ship. The soldier who had captured her tried to protest that she was unharmed, but Zuko was no idiot, no matter what Aiko had said to him earlier. There were bruises across her throat and burns covering her palms, not to mention the unhealthy shade of pink that her skin had taken on.</p><p> </p><p>“Take her belowdecks,” he said, waving dismissively. The soldiers hurried to do so, practically dragging the unconscious girl down to the holding cells.</p><p> </p><p>Zuko glanced at his uncle, who had a solemn expression as he watched from several feet away. He couldn’t understand why he seemed to forlorn. Aiko had run away from the Fire Nation six years ago. She wasn’t the ten-year-old they knew and missed any more. Black hair and gold eyes may have marked her as Fire Nation by birth, but her clothes and probably everything else about her were Water Tribe.</p><p> </p><p>As Zuko watched, Iroh closed his eyes for a moment, taking a breath, before going after the soldiers.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>When Aiko woke, she was uncomfortably warm. She could feel the sun setting, though she hadn’t yet opened her eyes to check. Trying to maneuver her way out of the blankets she was covered in, she sat up halfway, opening her eyes blearily and seeing nothing but metal around her. Was she in the Fire Nation? Her mind tried tiredly to catch up with the present, but it was no use. The pressure in her head seemed to block out all coherent thought.</p><p> </p><p>Gentle hands were on her shoulders, guiding her back down and pulling the blankets back up. The same hands smoothed her hair back, away from her face.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re running a fever,” a low voice said, the accent in it taking her back to better times. “Stay under the blankets, Aiko.”</p><p> </p><p>“M’kay,” she muttered, curling into herself. She glanced up for a moment, kind eyes entering her vision, gold but dulled with age.</p><p> </p><p>She smiled to herself before falling back asleep.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Soooo I was planning to drag out Aiko actually admitting to her identity for waaaaay longer but this just,, happened? Haha sorry 🙃</p><p>In the next chapter: there’s not a single competent person aboard the ship except for Iroh and it shows.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Breathe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So, the first part is just Aiko being stubborn and isn’t incredibly important (and is honestly boring I think, but I didn’t want to delete it), so you can skip that.</p><p>I also tried a slightly different writing style this chapter. Let me know if you like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aiko woke up to someone poking her side. She rolled over onto her back with a groan, catching whatever it was that was being used to prod her. However, it was pulled from her grasp and she was knocked soundly over the head with it instead.</p><p> </p><p>“Get up,” a voice said sternly. Aiko obeyed, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes. The Avatar from the temple stood in front of her, an unamused expression on her face. “We’ve got work to get done.”</p><p> </p><p>“What work?” Aiko muttered, getting to her feet and stretching. “I thought you said you were going to answer my questions last time.”</p><p> </p><p>“Training first, questions later,” Akane said, shoving the spear she’d hit Aiko with firmly into the ground. Aiko looked at her like she was crazy.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re in the spirit world. We can’t bend here. What kind of training can you possibly be thinking of giving me?” Akane sighed, muttering something about “stubborn Fire Nation royalty” before speaking out loud.</p><p> </p><p>“I can tell you what you need to know in order to practice techniques in the material world,” she explained. “Now sit.”</p><p> </p><p>“But I just got up!” Akane gave the girl a hard stare and she did as told.</p><p> </p><p>“Cross your legs.” Aiko did, crossing them at the knee. The Avatar sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Agni, you’re hopeless,” she muttered. “Cross them close to you. We’re going to meditate. Now close your eyes.”</p><p> </p><p>“But you said we were–”</p><p> </p><p>“Close them or I swear to Agni I will send you back right now and you’re not getting any answers for the next month.” Aiko sighed, doing as told. Akane had seemed so nice the last time they spoke. Now she was worse than her swordsmanship instructor back when she was a kid.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you feel the sun above you?” Akane asked, her voice calm and steady, a contrast from the snipping tone from only seconds before. Aiko took a deep breath, concentrating on the warmth on her skin, tapping into that instinctual feeling that told her to rise and fall with the sun.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” she replied. And from there Akane was quizzing her, making her feel like she was back in the Royal Academy. The Avatar’s questions ranged from incredibly basic to perfectly obscure. Each wrong answer came with a heavy sigh and a quick correction.</p><p> </p><p>“Lastly,” the Avatar began, making Aiko give an internal sigh of relief, “what are the three things you need to make fire?” Aiko struggled for a moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Breath, chi, and… kindling?” she replied, halfway asking a question of her own. She could almost feel Akane shrug dismissively, though her eyes remained closed.</p><p> </p><p>“Close enough, I suppose.” She took Aiko’s hand, pulling her to her feet. The young firebender took this as permission to finally open her eyes. “Air, chi, and fuel. If you have no fuel, you must constantly rely on your chi. Each second you hold a flame means more of your chi spent.” Aiko nodded slowly.</p><p> </p><p>“Can I just ask my questions now?” she asked, getting impatient. Actually, she got impatient quite a while ago, but figured it was best to simply do as told if she didn’t want another smack to the head. Akane seemed to mull it over for a moment.</p><p> </p><p>“One.” Aiko’s temper flared.</p><p> </p><p>“One?” she repeated. “After all of that, you’re going to give me one answer?”</p><p> </p><p>“Keep that up and you won’t get any.” Aiko shut her mouth. She knew when to stop while she was ahead, or at least not too far behind.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine,” she muttered. “Okay, um…” She sighed, trying to figure out what question was most pressing on her mind.</p><p> </p><p>“What does your mark mean?” she finally decided on. “Is it like the airbender tattoos? Did you get it once you mastered firebending?” Akane’s mouth curved upwards.</p><p> </p><p>“Something like that. I got it once I mastered combustion. It helps me to channel my chi and focus it.” Aiko nodded, then did a double take.</p><p> </p><p>“Wait. You can do the explosion thing?” The Avatar’s smile grew slightly.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I can do the ‘explosion thing’ as you call it. Formally, it is known as combustion bending.”</p><p> </p><p>Huh. Well, at least Aiko knew what to call it now.</p><p> </p><p>*****</p><p> </p><p>Back on the ship, Aiko sat up as her eyelids fluttered open. She stretched leisurely before she took note of her surroundings, at which point she swore loudly. That stupid soldier really managed to drag her onto Prince Zuko’s ship, huh? Well then, if that was the case, she was about to make it everyone’s problem.</p><p> </p><p>She stood from the thin mattress, frowning at how simply off she felt, like she’d just woken from an intense fever. Then again, one of the last things she remembered was feeling as if her skin was on fire, so maybe that wasn’t too far off. She was still dressed in her usual Water Tribe blue, which provided her with a bit of comfort. The clothes, though dirty and likely stained with sweat, were the only familiar thing in her surroundings. It also meant that no one had touched her in order to change her clothes, which was in itself an enormous plus.</p><p> </p><p>Someone had taken off her boots though, leaving behind the red metal-soled ones more traditional of the Fire Nation instead. Like hell she was going to wear those. The metal floor might have been cold, but not so cold that she’d put those things on. They were much too loud for the plan she was already concocting in her mind.</p><p> </p><p>Searching through the room quickly, she found that it must have been one of the spare chambers of the ship. Odd. She would have expected to be taken to a holding cell. But she wasn’t complaining; there were spare clothes in here after all, and her height worked in her favor, seeing as she didn’t have to roll the legs of the pants too much. Once a belt cinched the sleeveless shirt she found and a crimson ribbon held her hair back, she was satisfied. </p><p> </p><p>With quiet steps, she crossed the room, trying the door to see if it was locked. To her surprise, it wasn’t, though she wasn’t complaining. Perhaps they expected her to still be asleep, or maybe they assumed that a girl like her couldn’t possibly have the gall to fight through several soldiers and steal a life raft in order to escape. Either way, they were wrong, and Aiko intended to use their oversight to her advantage.</p><p> </p><p>She peered into the hallway cautiously, glancing back and forth several times before nodding to herself, satisfied that at least this passage was empty. The further she could get without anyone noticing her, the better.</p><p> </p><p>It turned out that she very well could have gotten around just fine even with those stiff, clunky boots. There was so much noise on the ship – people hurrying around up on deck, air blasting through the vents, the engine echoing through the entire place. Aiko rolled her eyes, wondering how the crew didn’t go insane with all this ruckus. </p><p> </p><p>She slipped quietly past a door that was slightly ajar, glimpsing the young prince inside. Not being able to resist, she gave him the finger through the crack while his back was turned, sticking her tongue out for good measure. The two insults didn’t really go together, but there was no one around to judge, and no Katara around to scold her for her abrasive gesture.</p><p> </p><p>Finally finding the stairway that led to the top deck, she drew a measured breath, bracing herself for the inevitable fight. ‘Just get to the lifeboat,’ she reminded herself. She needed to be quick. She needed to be agile. She couldn’t let anyone stop her or hold her back.</p><p> </p><p>And with that, she surged forward into the sunlight.</p><p> </p><p>Immediately there were shouts of alarm, men rushing for weapons and summoning flames. She swept her arm out in front of her, releasing a wave of fire that forced the crewmates back and dashing for the edge of the ship. By this point she supposed some sort of bell had been rung or announcement had been made, because even Prince Zuko had come to the deck, angrily punching fireballs at her like there was no tomorrow.</p><p> </p><p>She quickly gave up on blocking and redirecting everything, opting to simply dodge and hope that she was quick enough to not get hit. As it was, she could feel her skin get singed a few times along her uncovered arms, but she simply bit the inside of her cheek and carried on.</p><p> </p><p>Just as she was reaching for the rope which held up the lifeboat, a hand grabbed the hem of her shirt, dragging her back and landing her hard against the deck. Aiko groaned, looking up to stare at Prince Zuko, who had one foot on her chest and a hand wreathed in fire aimed at her face. She let her head drop back onto the metal floor with a dull thump.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you really think you could fight through this many soldiers?” Zuko sneered. “How stupid do you think we are?” Aiko grinned, her gaze on the clouds above.</p><p> </p><p>“Pretty stupid.” She could hear Zuko make a low, angry noise deep in his throat but elected to ignore it. He could growl all he wanted. It didn’t make any difference to her.</p><p> </p><p>“Get up,” the prince ordered. Aiko rolled her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“You see, I’d love to,” she said, sarcasm edging into her tone, “but you’re holding fire right in front of my face and I’d rather not end up with a burn like yours.” Zuko’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing in retaliation. In fact, he removed his boot from her chest and moved his fire back, not so much that it was no longer a threat, but enough that Aiko wasn’t in immediate danger. She stood slowly, not planning on getting roasted alive.<br/><br/></p><p>“Hands behind your head,” Zuko snapped. Aiko did as told, intertwining her fingers as she made the dumbest, most Sokka-like face she could, crossing her eyes and pursing her lips for good measure. As expected, Prince Zuko’s reaction was immediate. He fumed, smoke quite literally coming out of his nose as he moved behind her, forcing her arms down and tying her wrists.</p><p> </p><p>However, she saw a few crewmates laugh silently. They were subtle about it, likely not wanting to anger the hot-headed prince, but a select few let smiles slip as their shoulders shook. </p><p> </p><p>Aiko smiled, even as she was taken back belowdecks. Maybe she could make a few allies here.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Almost two thousand words of pure mess :)</p><p>Yes I will make you suffer before you get the nice sibling relationship I have planned for the two idiots :))</p><p>Also please comment? I’ve abandoned several fics because there was no engagement and I was really unmotivated and I reeeeally wanna finish this one. You don’t have to of course!!</p><p>Also this is the last pre-written chapter sooooo slower updates from now on, sorry...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Prince Zuko (Part One)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>People are reading this?? And Commenting?? Thank you!!!! You guys are the best !! &lt;3&lt;3&lt;3</p><p>Sorry for taking so long, explanation in end notes.</p><p>Also I will be skipping a few episodes because if I write all of them, then I’ll never get to the parts I actually want to write soooo yeah the next canon-compliant chapter will take place during the episode with Jun :))</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Aiko was beginning to strongly suspect that there were no actual holding cells aboard the Wani, the Prince’s old, run-down warship. Instead of navigating down to where she expected the brig to be according to her (albeit fuzzy) memories, the soldier behind her leading her right back to the same room she’d come from. They didn’t even blindfold her or anything. How was the Fire Nation winning the war again?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She rushed for the door as soon as it began to close, hoping she could at least stick a few fingers in the gap before it closed. But unfortunately, the hinges were well-oiled and the weight of the door pulled it shut before she could even get close. Aiko clenched her jaw. Of course, the only time the idiots aboard this ship did something competent, it hindered her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She kicked the door out of anger, striking hard with the heel of her foot. It didn’t even leave a dent. Frustrated, she struck again, and again, and again. After a minute someone slammed the door from the other side, startling her back. The tiny window at the top of the door slid open.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You keep that up and I’ll start </span>
  <em>
    <span>accidentally</span>
  </em>
  <span> spilling your food,” a helmeted soldier snarled. She spat right back, flipping her middle finger up at him. The face guard of the helmet continued to glare at her, just like she suspected the soldier was doing underneath. Aiko sighed, taking a couple more steps backward and letting herself fall onto the thin bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess the stories about Fire Nation soldiers having no sense of humour were right,” she muttered, earning a poorly-contained groan of annoyance from outside the room. She sat up, glancing at the window which the soldier standing guard hadn’t bothered to close. “How many of you guys are out there anyway?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A frustrated “Shut up!” was the only answer she got. Aiko grinned, laying back on the two pillows she’d been given, her hands laced together behind her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna guess two,” she continued. “One seems like a risk, and three seems a bit overkill for- for me.” She’d been about to say “for a girl,” before remembering that the soldiers were Fire Nation and likely had a healthy fear of the female gender, unlike her idiot brother. “Anyway, I bet I could take both of you. At the same time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No, she couldn’t. Any guard outside the room probably knew that just as well as she did, but if she knew anything, it was that claims like that were usually a great deal more annoying when they were so obviously untrue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I could probably do it even without breathing fire,” she boasted, listening carefully for any reactions. “It would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>soooo</span>
  </em>
  <span> easy. Who’s the best bender on this ship? I bet I can take them.” One of the guards shuffled, sticking his face in the window. Got one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Unless you want to go toe-to-toe with the Dragon of the West, I suggest you shut your pretty little mouth.” Aiko sat up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aww, you think I’m pretty?” The soldier removed the mask of his helmet, revealing a face younger than what Aiko had expected to see. He looked at her for a moment before raising an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah, actually,” he muttered. “You’re pretty easy on the eyes I guess.” The soldier paused. “I mean, like, not in a creepy way, I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable, ‘cause like, back home my sister would always get these weird guys calling out to her and it was always </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> uncomfortable, so I wouldn’t wanna make you feel like that, and come to think of it you look about Zika’s age, so I really don’t wanna-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ey, Lee,” another soldier snapped. “You gonna shut up?” The young guard - </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lee - </span>
  </em>
  <span> stopped talking, his face going pink.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Aiko said, getting up to pace the room. “I appreciate the conversation. I’m stuck here anyway, might as well make some friends.” Not that she actually cared about making friends with these people, she just wanted a way to pass the time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not here to make friends, you traitorous piece of-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Heeeey, Jion, calm down,” Lee cut in, turning away from the window. “She’s just a kid and she wants someone to talk to. What’s the big deal?” There was a grumble from the other guard before he fell silent.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jion, huh?” Aiko said after a moment of awkward silence. “That’s an Earth Kingdom name.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m from the colonies,” he growled. “Now shut up.” Aiko shrugged, picking at a loose thread on the tapestry on the wall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter to me. It’d be kinda hypocritical if I judged where people came from, wouldn’t it?” No answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are we not talking anymore?” Lee took a breath to respond, but his fellow guard shoved him pointedly, and he quickly quieted. Aiko sighed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cool. Good talk.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you two sure you don’t want to talk?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*****</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After what must have been several long, boring hours, there was a pounding at the metal door. Akira sat up, glancing over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, so we’re talking again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you decent?” Prince Zuko’s raspy voice came from the other side of the door. He didn’t sound happy. Then again, when did he ever?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have on a shirt and pants,” the prince snapped. “I’m here to question you.” Aiko rolled her eyes. They were really going to do this?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope,” she called, despite still being dressed in the same clothes from before. “Not decent. You’re gonna have to wait, sorry.” She could practically feel Zuko fuming through the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Half a degree,” he said, his voice coming as if through clenched teeth, “then I’m coming in whether you like it or not.” Aiko sighed, pushing herself up from where she’d been laying and examining the bolts in the ceiling. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed and crossing them, she grinned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just come in, princey. I’m dressed. I was messing with you.” Immediately, the door flew open, revealing a fuming Fire Nation prince. Aiko suppressed the urge to laugh at his red face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you finished being childish?” he snapped, his eyes narrowed and his jaw tight. Aiko shrugged, glancing around the room idly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe,” she said lightly. “It’s not something I can guarantee one way or another.” Zuko takes a forced, measured breath, as if trying to keep himself from lashing out. He drags a chair from the edge of the room into the middle, sitting down in front of Aiko and fixing her with an intense glare.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you know about the Avatar?” he asked, not wasting any time. Aiko raised an eyebrow, leaning back on her hands and crossing her legs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s twelve, bald, about this tall,” she answers, indicating his height roughly with one hand. “He likes frostberry jam and-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t play games with me,” the prince snarls, cutting her off. “What is his plan? Where is he going next?” Aiko shrugged once more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, the kid’s twelve.” She blew a stray strand of hair out of her face, brushing it back with a hand when it didn’t fall the way she wanted it to. “Do you expect me to know what he’s going to get distracted by next?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Technically, </span>
  <em>
    <span>technically,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she knew that Aang’s ultimate goal was the Northern Water Tribe, but Prince Zuko didn’t need to know that, did he? And it wasn’t a lie, really. She’d long learned from Azula that the best lies were simply the twisted truth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you mean to tell me,” Zuko began, “that the Avatar is simply going where he pleases?” Aiko nodded, smirking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds about right.” The prince let out a frustrated yell, slamming a hand against the seat of his chair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then why was he at Kyoshi Island?” he demanded. “Those warriors are valuable allies and both you and I know it. He must have some kind of plan!” Aiko stared for a moment before beginning to laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Zuko fumed. “Why are you laughing? Spot that! I’m serious, cut it out!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think… haha! You think that Aang was there to make allies?” Zuko’s face reddened more quickly than Aiko thought should have been possible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Obviously!” he yelled. “Why else would he be there? It certainly wasn’t for training!” Aiko took a few deep breaths, trying to stop her laughter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was there to ride the fish, Zuzu. The Agni damned </span>
  <em>
    <span>fish</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Oh, man, did Zuko’s face just get even more red? Aiko was kind of impressed that he hadn’t passed out yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop laughing at me!” he ordered. “And don’t call me that! I’m your prince! And older than you.” Aiko raised an amused eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“First off, Azula calls you that and she’s younger than both of us. And second, I’m not Fire Nation, so you’re definitely not my prince.” Zuko looked at her with a surprising lack of anger.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course you’re Fire Nation,” he said. “You can’t seriously be going back to the Water Tribe after you found your family after all these years.” Aiko’s eyes narrowed. Tension flooded into the room as gold eyes met.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Water Tribe is my family.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey guys!! So this was only about half of the chapter, the other half will be going out in a day or two. Again, I am so sorry I took so long!! I uhhhhh may or may not have kinda written the wrong chapter? Well, at least we'll have some fun with Jun soon :))</p><p>Have an amazing day/night!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Prince Zuko (Part Two)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And in this chapter we have two angry firebenders somehow… bonding through anger and angst? I don’t know how it happened, and I’m the one who wrote this mess.</p><p>Also if Zuko would stop hijacking my writing that would be nice thanks.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Technically, </span>
  <em>
    <span>technically,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she knew that Aang’s ultimate goal was the Northern Water Tribe, but Prince Zuko didn’t need to know that, did he? And it wasn’t a lie, really. She’d long learned from Azula that the best lies were simply the twisted truth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you mean to tell me,” Zuko began, “that the Avatar is simply going where he pleases?” Aiko nodded, smirking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds about right.” The prince let out a frustrated yell, slamming a hand against the seat of his chair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then why was he at Kyoshi Island?” he demanded. “Those warriors are valuable allies and both you and I know it. He must have some kind of plan!” Aiko stared for a moment before beginning to laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Zuko fumed. “Why are you laughing? Spot that! I’m serious, cut it out!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think… haha! You think that Aang was there to make allies?” Zuko’s face reddened more quickly than Aiko thought should have been possible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Obviously!” he yelled. “Why else would he be there? It certainly wasn’t for training!” Aiko took a few deep breaths, trying to stop her laughter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He was there to ride the fish, Zuzu. The Agni damned </span>
  <em>
    <span>fish</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Oh, man, did Zuko’s face just get even more red? Aiko was kind of impressed that he hadn’t passed out yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop laughing at me!” he ordered. “And don’t call me that! I’m your prince! And older than you.” Aiko raised an amused eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“First off, Azula calls you that and she’s younger than both of us. And second, I’m not Fire Nation, so you’re definitely not my prince.” Zuko looked at her with a surprising lack of anger.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course you’re Fire Nation,” he said. “You can’t seriously be going back to the Water Tribe after you found your family after all these years.” Aiko’s eyes narrowed. Tension flooded into the room as gold eyes met.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Water Tribe is my family.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No they’re not!” Zuko yelled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The scar I have from ice dodging begs to differ!” Aiko yelled right back. Both firebenders glared at each other for a moment before looking away at the same time, arms crossed. Even after years, their mannerisms were still incredibly similar. Neither of them wanted to think about that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, I’m just saying that you could come back to Caldera City,” Zuko muttered, not making eye contact. “You wouldn’t be put back into the line of succession, but you’d be a high-ranking member of the court.” Aiko laughed humourlessly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that what you think I care about?” she said flatly. “I don’t care about the hypothetical position I’ll hold, especially since I’m not going back.” She drew her legs up to her chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How can you not see what the Fire Nation is doing to the world?” Her voice was hardly a whisper, changing the atmosphere in the room within seconds. “The Southern Water Tribe is barely hanging on. You should hear the stories that the chief tells, it’s- It was so beautiful, even just a generation or two ago. Your people… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Our</span>
  </em>
  <span> people destroyed it all. Now Katara is the last bender and our tribe’s culture is on the brink of fading away.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence hung in the air, thicker than any quiet with Sokka or Katara had ever been. Aiko blinked hard, trying to stop the stinging in her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love the Fire Nation,” she admitted, her voice still quiet. “I love the warmth and the flowers and Ember Island. I love the pride and the passion that our people have. But I can’t stand by and let the army take over the world. It’s not right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She swallowed hard, hearing Zuko take in a heavy breath. The two finally looked up at each other again, both wearing unsure expressions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” the prince muttered after a moment. Aiko straightened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said shut up.” He straightened up as well, his posture that of a perfect prince. “You know nothing of the Fire Nation. You don’t get to leave like that and then say you have any love for the Fire Nation.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zuko-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said shut up!” The lantern on the wall flared with the prince’s anger as he stood. “If you hadn’t left, I wouldn’t be in this situation right now. I wouldn’t be scarred and exiled if you’d just stayed!” Any softer moment they had was gone now, replaced by Zuko’s usual seething anger. Aiko scoffed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How is this my fault?” She rose as well, rising a few inches above the older teen. She noted her height advantage with a quiet satisfaction. “I was saving myself. I may have been a child, but I wasn’t stupid. I knew just how far your father would go for the throne.” She could see Zuko  bristling, trying to draw himself up taller. She nearly laughed. He was what, a bit over a metre and a half?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should have been the successor to the throne,” he fumed. “If you’d stayed, my father would have only been regent. I wouldn’t have been crown prince and I wouldn’t have had a reason to go to that war meeting. You ruined everything!” Aiko stared for a moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...What war meeting?” Zuko stared at her like she’d just asked the colour of the sky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just how stupid are the people in the Water Tribes again?” Aiko suppressed the urge to light his ponytail on fire like a candle with a long, black wick.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(That was an incredibly satisfying image, but something told her setting the Prince of the Fire Nation aflame would not end well for her.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Forgive us for not being in the loop,” she retorted venomously. “We were a little busy making sure everyone in our tribes didn’t die after we lost all of our benders to a certain war-mongering nation.” Zuko glared, seething silently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as the prince inhaled, likely about to launch into another tirade, there was a soft knock at the door. Zuko muttered something under his breath angrily, but stood to fling the door open regardless. The old general stood outside the door, a jovial smile on his face and a tea tray in his hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Zuko!" he smiled. "I heard you yelling down here. Is something the matter?" The prince drew in a measured breath, still not happy but seemingly attempting to calm himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nothing, Uncle," he grumbled. "Everything's under control." Iroh hummed happily, nodding as if pleased. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, in that case, I came down here to invite Miss Aiko for a cup of tea." He lowered the tray he held, tilting it like he was showing off its contents. "I have a new blend I'd like her opinion on, if she doesn't mind." He turned his head towards her, waiting for an answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sure," Aiko said, before the prince could get his word in. "It beats sitting in this room," she admitted before grumbling, "Not even any good conversation in here." Iroh laughed heartily, placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her out of the room and down the hallway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Come," he smiled, then said with a laugh, "I think you'll appreciate this, at least more than Zuko does."</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hhhhhhhhhhh Iroh being a good dad-</p><p>Next up: tea, advice, and firebending practice.</p><p>Also, would you guys like longer updates or more frequent ones? I've gone back to school in person, which means I've got more time to write now!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Wonders of Ginseng Tea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>aaaaaa hi :)) thank you guys for the comments so far!! I love and appreciate each one of them :DD</p><p>Nothing to watch out for this chapter really, there is a super brief mention of underage drinking concerning Aiko and Sokka but it’s like a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it type thing</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The old general set his tea tray carefully on a low table, lowering himself to sit cross-legged on a pillow at one side. Aiko knelt quietly in seiza, legs tucked neatly underneath her, back straight </span>
  <strike>
    <span>like how Ozai had always demanded</span>
  </strike>
  <span> and head held high with her hands in her lap. She almost laughed at herself, at how easily she slipped back into propper, </span>
  <em>
    <span>prissy</span>
  </em>
  <span> court behaviour. For so long, she’d gone out of her way to step away from all that, to prove herself just as much Water as she was Fire. Was she really Fire before all else, like Zuko had said?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iroh arranged his tea tray to please him as Aiko watched his movements warily. She still wasn’t sure whether this was a genuine offer for tea or just another form of interrogation. Maybe he was trying to lure her into a false sense of security?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Though, thinking back, Iroh had always enjoyed tea. Lu Ten had grumbled about it without any real frustration, muttering quietly about their father’s “stupid tea and stupid Pai Sho strategies” decently often.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But she also couldn’t forget that he was a literal ex-war lord. As kind and harmless as he might try to seem, he was bound to have a few tricks up his sleeve.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I remember you seemed to like ginseng as a child,” Iroh began, bringing Aiko’s attention back to the moment at hand. He placed the pot carefully over a controlled flame. “Is that still true?” Aiko shrugged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s just tea.” Iroh glanced up, looking scandalized.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just… tea?” he asked carefully, as if hoping he’d misheard. Aiko nodded slowly. Iroh stared for a long moment before going back to his leaves and muttering hardly loud enough for her to hear, “How did this child’s education get so terribly neglected?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aiko blinked silently. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What? </span>
  </em>
  <span>It was… tea. Just tea. Plant water. Leaf juice. It wasn’t a cause for worry… was it? Had the Fire Nation’s priorities really changed that much in her absence?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shaking her head, she jotted it down for now as just an Iroh thing. He looked incredibly satisfied to be carefully placing just the right amount of tea leaves in each of the two cups on the tray, so it was likely just him. For a moment Aiko wondered if tea simply made him happy in the fact that it existed, like knives did for Mai.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iroh placed one of the cups in front of her, pouring the boiling water into it. Aiko picked it up, not sipping from it quite yet. Ursa was once a herbalist in Hira’a after all; who was to say she hadn’t passed the talent on to the rest of the family? She’d taught Aiko as a child which flowers and grasses in the royal gardens were good for a fever, for a headache, for warding off infection and even malicious spirits. Perhaps she’d taught Iroh which ones would force the truth from someone’s mouth or wipe their memory clean.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the old general simply blew on his tea a few times before taking a careful sip, leaning back with a pleased smile. And, since he didn’t begin foaming at the mouth, Aiko figured it was safe for her to take a sip from her own cup.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Upon her first mouthful, she pulled a face, then remembered that she was drinking tea with a Fire Nation Royal and schooled her expression into one of neutrality. Unfortunately, Iroh must have noticed her momentary slip-up, since a laugh bubbled into the air. He picked up a small silver spoon, opening a little bowl on the side of his tray.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I take it you have not had ginseng in a long time?” he asked as he took a spoonful of what she could now tell was honey and motioned for her cup. She handed it over, swallowing several times to try and get the aftertaste out of her mouth as Iroh chuckled. “You seemed to like it very much when you were young.” He paused, as though contemplating his statement. “Although,” he began, “that was rather surprising. Ginseng is often an acquired taste.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Aiko wasn’t about to tell him she’d only pretended to love it to mess with Lu Ten, who had a burning hatred for the stuff.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(At the time, it had been hilarious. She could steel herself just enough to knock back a cup without so much as a grimace while her older brother looked on, somehow concerned, impressed, and terrified at the same time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now it was coming back to bite her in the backside.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The added honey certainly helped with the bitterness, and once she was able to force her way through that, the tea was actually quite good.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Too late she considered the possibility that the hypothetical poison might be slow-acting or something the general had an immunity to, but she could hardly ask about that. The fact that she’d just drained half the cup didn’t help either.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iroh, on the other hand, took slow, small sips as to better enjoy his tea. Aiko tried to follow his example, but quickly gave up on that. There was no point in letting the tiniest amount of liquid flow over her tongue when she could just drink it the way she drank everything else. This wasn’t the liquor she and Sokka had once filched from the village’s stores, the one they’d taken in tiny sips so that it didn’t burn the backs of their throats so harshly. It was tea, not even boiling hot any more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She set down her cup, empty save for the wet leaves at the bottom, and placed her hands back in her lap. Iroh studied the scene for a moment before speaking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, some say that one can find their destiny in their tea leaves.” Aiko bit her lip, just barely managing to keep herself from rolling her eyes. Hakoda used to tell stories of seers he met on trade trips, one of which had told him he’d one day fly with the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. This was impossible not only in the fact that no one could fly (well, except for Aang, but he was an exception to many, many rules), but also in that she knew for a fact that Hakoda would rather die than join the Fire Nation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I doubt my destiny lies at the bottom of a teacup,” Aiko said, hesitating before tacking on a muttered honorific of “General” at the end. Iroh shook his head, waving his hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have not been a general for many years now,” he replied. Aiko shrugged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A bird can change its colours with the seasons, but it remains the same beneath its feathers.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iroh started to laugh. Aiko could not, for the life of her, figure out why.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Finally,” he grinned, “someone with an appreciation for the finer sayings of life.” He raised his cup in a sort of toast before finishing the remainder of his tea. “Zuko would be beside himself if he heard this, you know. He does not yet have an appreciation for the more </span>
  <em>
    <span>cryptic </span>
  </em>
  <span>arts.” Aiko froze for a moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Something in Iroh’s gaze told her he was talking about more than just witty sayings.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyway!” Iroh rose from his cushion slowly, prompting Aiko to do the same. “We should get some training in.” The younger firebender raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would you train me?” She searched the old general’s posture for any hidden motives. “I’m your enemy, aren’t I?” Iroh, for the slightest moment, looked terribly heartbroken. He looked for a moment like was searching desperately for the right words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are only a child,” was what he finally settled on. Iroh looked at her, having to tilt his head up to meet her eye and saying with a quiet sincerity, “Aiko, you could never be my enemy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The old general’s eyes were not as bright as her own or as sharp as Zuko’s. Nevertheless, there was something behind them that forced Aiko to tear her gaze away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>……………………………………</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iroh knew many things. He considered himself a wise man, age and experience guiding his every move. He had lived a long time and seen countless places and people.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he never knew that something could bring him so much joy yet so much pain at the same time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he had found Aiko, his daughter, his little girl not so little any more, at the South Pole, the happiness he had felt rivaled any other he had felt in his life. Losing not one but both of his children had torn him apart and unraveled him for over a year. He had lost his inner fire, lost </span>
  <em>
    <span>himself.</span>
  </em>
  <span> But when he saw his daughter, dressed in blue with Water Tribe paints running down her face, everything fell into place so perfectly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had not stopped to consider that it had been six years and Aiko was a very different person.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even now, as he watched her run through katas she had likely not performed since she lived in the palace, he saw the difference. Her form now, smooth and quick and flowing, was a far cry from the sharp movements of her childhood. Her fire came in streams rather than bursts, almost reminiscent of waterbending.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iroh winced as his daughter put too much force behind a spin, her palms slamming into the deck a split second before her face followed. He moved to help her up, but she held up a hand, halting him. Aiko pushed up to her hands and knees, several drops of red hitting the metal floor as she caught her breath, muttered what Iroh could only assume was a Water Tribe swear, and got back up, wiping at her face with the back of her hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you need to take a break?” he suggested, reaching to roll up the scroll that was laid out across the table. Aiko glared, moving the scroll out of his reach.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know why you’re so insistent that I learn better firebending,” she hissed, “but I’m not wasting this opportunity.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iroh sighed, nodding nevertheless and standing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am going to my chambers,” he said, straightening his clothes. “You remember the way back to your room, yes?” Aiko rolled her eyes as she fired off another few punches into the air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How stupid do you think I am?” The old general frowned, regarding his daughter for a moment before turning on his heel and going to his bedroom. He sat at the desk, taking a piece of parchment and a pot of ink and beginning to write.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>My Good Friend,</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I would like to apologize for the delayed letter, and I hope you have not yet come to the conclusion that something may have happened to me. In fact, I am much better than I have been in a very long time. But I will explain later.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It may come as a surprise to you, but perhaps you have heard the news of a wheel tile found in the south. I suspect it may be travelling in your direction, with two boat tiles flanking its sides. My primary knotweed is attempting to take the wheel tile, and it may harm the boats in its path. I will try to keep this knotweed tile in check.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>My friend, I have found a knotweed tile I long believed to be lost. It has been painted in blue while it was not in my grasp, but it is as beautiful as ever. However, I am having trouble with it. I have long played with only one knotweed and this one does not accept my touch as easily. It may soon join the wheel and boats; I have yet to decide where it is most needed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>May the Sun and Moon shine upon you.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I’m in a really weird headspace right now (like lots of stims and tics? idk which they are but anyway a looooot of spontaneous movement going on!!) and so if you find any typos int he end of the chapter let me know so i can correct them later because I probably won’t catch them</p><p>Also, What’s this?? Is Iroh gonna recruit her for the White Lotus? I don’t know, and I’m the one writing this stuff.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Shirshu (Or, More Accurately, The Shirshu's Rider)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gay panic. That is all.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay I'm giving y'all a chapter sooner rather than later because i'm gonna have other things to think about in the coming weeks (more in end notes). I have realized that i'm pretty much incapable of writing really long chapters (i burn out easily) so i'm trying for more frequent updates instead. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>And so passed the next couple weeks.</p><p>Zuko would come into her room under the pretense of civil conversation, though it would always dissolve into argument and quite literal sparks fling, though miraculously both of them had at least enough control not to singe each other in the wake of their arguments.</p><p>Iroh would hear the shouting, come down with his tea tray and invite her for a cup on ginseng (which Aiko was proud to say she was building up a tolerance to once more), and then have her train on the deck, all the while correcting her kicks, her stances, her breathing. He'd make her stop eventually, saying that she "must be so tired" and "shouldn't overexert herself" (which was stupid, by the way, she wasn't even that much out of breath). Then she would be sent back to the room they had so graciously provided her with a scroll or two to memorize and practice her forms cold.</p><p>Eventually she was allowed to wander the ship on her own time. Honestly, what was she gonna do? She could try to take the controls over, but there were a dozen others on the ship, almost all men twice her age or more. She wasn't a waterbender; she couldn't sink the ship even if she was willing to go down with it. </p><p>And for some reason, try as she might, she couldn't force out a single explosion. Not for lack of trying of course. She'd attempted many, many times, producing only tiny blasts that managed to do nothing but leave her dizzy and frustrated.</p><p>It wasn't as bad as it could have been. Once Prince Zuko realized that Aang was just like any other twelve year old boy and simply followed whatever caught his eye, he stopped pestering Aiko for his next location. Unfortunately, that didn't mean he stopped coming down to her room and being more annoying than Aiko could remember him ever being.</p><p>Morning, Aiko found, was the best time to practice firebending. Instinct demanded that she rise with the sun, and since there was no breakfast to make or stupid ideas to listen for, she had a good bit of time to simply do as she pleased before the ship sprang to life. She quickly found a routine, sitting for a few minutes with a candle to still her breathing and then going out to the deck to practice the forms she’d figured out.</p><p>Iroh was often on deck even before Aiko was, though she rarely spoke with him. Past morning pleasantries and the occasional offer of help or tea from the retired general, they simply went about their individual routines.</p><p>This morning, Aiko had found a new scroll of firebending katas to practice. She spun through them, practicing the forms without fire until she got the footwork down and then adding her element little by little. As she leaned down to glance at the scroll she’d placed on the floor, a creature burst onto the ship, clamouring against the metal.</p><p>“Get back!” a voice rang out. “We’re after a stowaway!”</p><p>Aiko glanced up, trying to find where the voice came from, eyes landing on a dark-haired girl atop the animal. She looked dangerous. And attractive.</p><p>“There are no stowaways on my ship,” Zuko glared. When had he gotten up there? Aiko shrugged mentally, turning her attention back to the girl. The stranger gave the prince a look one might give to a delusioned child before spurring her animal forward. The deck tore like paper, and a man scrambled out, trying to run before he could get caught.</p><p>Faster than Aiko could blink, the creature’s tongue shot out, hitting the stowaway. He fell to the deck in an instant, seemingly unable to move. The girl slid off of the creature, regarding the man with distaste for a moment before slinging him over her shoulder.</p><p>Pretty and strong, Aiko’s mind supplied. Aiko told herself to shut up.</p><p>“He’s paralyzed,” Iroh marvelled. The girl shrugged dismissively.</p><p>“Only for about an hour,” she said. “By that time, he’ll be in jail and I’ll have my money.” Aiko raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“You’re a bounty hunter,” she said, more stating than asking. The girl smirked.</p><p>“Sure am. My shirshu can smell a rat continent away.” Then, after a pause, “What’s it to you?” Aiko gave a smile of her own.</p><p>“Nothing. Just cool.” The stranger regarded her with interest for a moment.</p><p>“Just cool, huh?” She flicked a strand of dark hair over her shoulder, turning her shirshu. Just before she was out of sight, she gave a casual, two-fingered salute. </p><p>“See you around, love.”</p><p>Love, her brain said again. That’s a pet name. And again, she told herself to shut up.</p><p>She turned to go back to her firebending, but a hand caught her shoulder. She glanced over, only to be met with a very irritated-looking prince of the Fire Nation. Aiko sighed.</p><p>“What?” Zuko glared.</p><p>“You know exactly what,” he fumed. “What was that?” Aiko pushed his hand away.</p><p>“Conversation?” she shot back. “Banter? Small talk? Surely you know that people talk about things other than honor and the Avatar.” Zuko rolled his eyes. Agni, this kid was annoying.</p><p>“I know what flirting looks like,” the prince pressed. Aiko scoffed.</p><p>“If you thought that was flirting, then you clearly need to hang around girls more.” Zuko went redder than Aiko had previously thought possible for a human being.</p><p>“She called you ‘Love’!” he fumed. “And I’m not even-!”</p><p>“Into girls?” Aiko asked, teasing. Zuko seemed to choke on his words as she forced down laughter. “It’s all right, Prince Zuko. I don’t judge.” The prince’s jaw was tight, and Aiko could see him physically holding himself back from lashing out.</p><p>“We need to find her,” he said when his anger died down enough that he could speak without yelling. “That girl. She can help us find the Avatar.” Aiko glanced over from where she’d sat down to study the scroll.</p><p>“How? That thing tracks by scent.” She narrowed her eyes. “Unless you have something with Aang’s scent on it.” Zuko gave a smile that was all teeth. Aiko did not like that smile.</p><p>“Not quite.”</p><p>*****</p><p>“Make way!” Prince Zuko commanded, though the people in what seemed to be a pub of some sorts didn’t pay him much attention. “Step aside, filth!” Aiko nudged him from behind, hoping he’d get the message to stop insulting people that were drunk, armed, and in many cases, both.</p><p>“He means no offence!” Iroh called, hoping to placate any angered guests. “I’m sure you all bathe regularly.” Aiko rolled her eyes, choosing to turn her attention instead to the bounty hunter girl, who was arm-wrestling a rather burly man at a table. Their eyes met quickly, and the older girl smirked, taking a long drink from her cup before slamming the man’s hand down onto the table. The room erupted in cheers, coins raining down onto the table for her to gather.</p><p>“I see you’ve brought Angry Boy and Lazy with you,” she said, glancing up from her coins. “Name, Love?” The other girl flushed.</p><p>“Ah, it’s Aiko,” she managed. The bounty hunter nodded, counting the money in front of her.</p><p>“Jun,” she replied. “You know, when I said I wanted to see you around I meant alone.” Aiko could see Zuko tense out of the corner out of her eye. Growing impatient, he stepped forward, slamming a hand down on the table in front of Jun, who didn’t even flinch.</p><p>“You damaged my ship,” Zuko glared. “You owe me.” Jun gave an incredibly fake sigh.</p><p>“You know, I’d love to be able to pay you back, but I’m a little short on money right now.” Then, she turned to the rest of the guests in the pub with a grin. “Hey! Drinks on me!” The crowd erupted into cheers again as gold changed hands rapidly. Zuko stepped forward, but Aiko got a grip on his arm.</p><p>“How about you let me do the talking?” she hissed. “You’re not going to get anywhere.” The prince glared.</p><p>“Oh, so you two can flirt with each other again?” Aiko didn’t answer with anything but a shove and stepped in front of him. Jun stood from her seat, stepping closer to the three. She raised an eyebrow as if awaiting negotiation.</p><p>“Money wasn’t the payment in mind,” Aiko said after a moment. Jun’s eyes widened slightly, her lips quirking upward. She placed a black-tipped finger under Aiko’s chin, tilting her face up slightly.</p><p>“Oh, really?” she asked, her voice low. “Well, why didn’t you just say so?” Aiko tried not to choke on the air around her.</p><p>“Your- Your shirshu,” she finally managed. “He, uh, Zuko, that is, needs something that can track. Someone.” The bounty hunter looked the slightest bit disappointed, but lowered her hand anyway. Aiko could feel heat rolling off of Zuko in waves behind her and if it weren’t for the fact that a pretty girl was currently staring her down, she would have laughed at his irritation.</p><p>“We’ll pay your weight in gold,” Aiko negotiated, finally able to breathe again. Jun’s eyes narrowed.</p><p>“Make it his weight,” she muttered, poking a finger into Iroh’s round stomach, “and we’ve got a deal.” The younger of the two girls turned to glance at Zuko, one eyebrow raised. The prince seethed for a moment before conceding.</p><p>“Deal.” </p><p>Jun leaned back with a smile, shifting her weight onto one leg and folding her arms. Aiko returned the expression.</p><p>“I’ll see you at sunrise then,” the bounty hunter said. “Bright and early.” Prince Zuko nodded curtly before turning on his heel and beginning his escape. The other two firebenders followed, only to be halted by a shout.</p><p>“Hey, Pretty Girl!” Jun yelled. Aiko turned, pointing at herself questioningly, to which Jun laughed. “Yeah, you. Who’d you think I meant? It certainly wasn’t your friend with the poor hairstyle choice.” Zuko muttered something under his breath, likely denoting her as a “degenerate” or “peasant,” but Jun didn’t seem to care.</p><p>“Why don’t we do that whole ‘seeing each other around’ thing?” she offered. “I’ve got a few more wins up my sleeve, I think. We could have a good time.” Aiko heard Zuko’s armour clanking before she heard his voice.</p><p>“We don’t have time for dates!” he fumed, even as Aiko rolled her eyes and muttered, “Not a date.” “Is no one taking this mission seriously?” Iroh layed a placating hand on his shoulder.</p><p>“I think this a wonderful opportunity to make new friends,” he said sagely, smiling softly at Aiko. “There can’t have been many people your age at the South Pole, Aiko. You should take this lovely girl up on her offer.” Aiko was surprised to hear his quiet acceptance.</p><p>“Um, yeah, I think I will,” she said, her voice quieter than she expected it to be in the din of the room. Iroh’s expression somehow managed to become even softer as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.</p><p>“Don’t stay out too late,” he warned, “and don’t do anything foolish.” Then, he finished with, “But, most importantly, have fun.” Aiko smiled.</p><p>“Thanks, Dad,” she said, the term slipping out before she could stop it. All three firebenders froze for a moment, very different expressions on their faces. Aiko could feel her face grow warm as Iroh’s eyes became moist.</p><p>“I-I’m, um–” she stuttered, “S-Sorry, I meant–”</p><p>“It’s all right,” Iroh said, something under his dismissive tone that Aiko couldn’t quite place. “I know that you are just grateful to have an evening off of that ship. I know if I were young, I’d love to do the same, especially with as lovely a young woman as Miss Jun here!”</p><p>Aiko smiled slightly, her face still red. Iroh pulled her into a quick but tight hug by the arm, pressing her forehead into his shoulder for a moment before releasing her. He smiled, patting her shoulder.</p><p>“Go.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So... the next chapter might take a while since i'm travelling? I'll be safe so don't worry!! I'm terrified but really excited too.</p><p> </p><p>Feedback on this chapter would be super appreciated! wish me luck :))</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you have a lovely day!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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